The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital provides extraordinary high-level care for children who require continuous monitoring. The unit has 16 beds for infants and children suffering from a variety of conditions or recovering from surgery.
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital has doctors in more than 50 pediatric specialties. In addition to the pediatricians with special training in your child's particular condition, the care team includes doctors called intensivists, who are trained to care for very sick children. Our doctors and nurses have been pioneers in developing special techniques for caring for critically ill children.
More than 1,000 children a year are admitted into the intensive care units at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. About half are children — including newborns — who are already our patients. The remainder arrives via ambulance, helicopter and airplane from throughout the western United States.
The care we provide is family-centered, meaning our health professionals work to provide care that revolves around your family. While your child is in the PICU, we encourage you to spend as much time as possible with your child.
When you arrive at the unit, our staff at the front desk will direct you to your child. Sometimes it's necessary to move children to different areas so please check in at the front desk.
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
505 Parnassus Ave., Sixth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94143
Phone: (415) 353-1352
Last updated July 21, 2010
Parents may visit at any time. However, you may be asked to leave the PICU if there's an emergency or a need to perform a special procedure.
Sisters and brothers may visit after being screened by a PICU staff member. Please closely supervise your children at all times. Children under the age of 12 who are not siblings are not allowed in the PICU.
Family members and friends may visit if accompanied by a patient's parent. When a parent can't visit for an extended period, arrangements can be made to allow relatives or friends to visit unaccompanied by a parent. However, you must leave written permission with the unit service coordinator. Please keep in mind that we may need to limit the number of visitors to maintain a calm and safe environment.
For visitors, we have a waiting room with a TV. There also is a kitchen equipped with a microwave oven, refrigerator, freezer and cabinets that you may use if you wish to bring food to the hospital. Please ask your nurse if you have questions.
Visitors are not allowed if they have a cold, flu or fever or if they were recently exposed to a contagious disease.
Children wear identification bands at all times. Medical staff members caring for your child also must wear UCSF identification badges.
