UF Health Jacksonville

Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)

Patients in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit typically have had CABGs, valve replacements, robotic and other thoracic surgeries including VATS, and minimally invasive heart procedures such as TAVR, TEVAR, and mini valve replacements. Nurses in this unit have the opportunity to work with specialized surgeons in open heart and vascular procedures. By joining this team, you will work with a capable group of nurses who deliver excellent care in an exciting, multidisciplinary environment taking care of post-operative patients. This dynamic and energetic team attains exceptional patient outcomes and high patient satisfaction scores.

Unit Leadership

• Division Director of Nursing, Critical Care Services: David Meysenburg, MSN, RN, EMT-P, TCRN, CFRN
• Nurse Manager: Tiffany James, RN, BSN CCRN SCRN
• Clinical Quality Nurse Leader: Erica Liner, MSN, RN

Unit Statistics

• 17-bed ICU and intermediate care unit
• Average daily census of 12
• Specialize in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery

Cardiac Care Unit (CCU)

The Cardiac Care Unit is made up of a multidisciplinary team of nurses specializing in treating heart attack, cardiac intervention, and heart failure patients. The CCU provides ICU care for STEMI, including Hypothermia, Impella, IntaAortic Balloon pump, and pacing. Frequent bedside rounding is conducted with attending physicians, case managers, pharmacists, fellows, and residents to ensure patients have everything they need to complete their care while at UF Health Cardiology – Jacksonville.

Unit Leadership

• Division Director of Nursing, Critical Care Services: David Meysenburg, MSN, RN, EMT-P, TCRN, CFRN
• Medical Director: Fabiana Rollini, M.B.Ch.B. (M.D.)
• Nurse Manager: Vickie Norris, MSN, RN, PCCN
• Clinical Quality Nurse Leader: Keeley Hawley, MSN, RN

Unit Statistics

• 24-bed ICU and intermediate care unit
• Average daily census of 18

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has a comprehensive medical team that provides life support and tailored care for the tiniest patients at UF Health Jacksonville. As a Level III regional referral center, physicians and staff provide intensive care for infants from Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. This unit offers a great nurse-to-patient ratio with a continuous learning environment. Nurses participate in research studies to continue professional development, and each nurse maintains Neonatal Resuscitation Program and S.T.A.B.L.E. certifications. Nurses work alongside neonatologists who teach daily at the bedside. The NICU places emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach that fosters respectful and caring interactions for each other and families, while providing clinically excellent care to the diverse patient population.

Unit Leadership

• Division Director of Nursing, Women’s Services: Jenny VanRavestein, DNP, RN, NE-BC
• Medical Director: Sanket D. Shah, M.B.B.S. (M.D.), FACP
• Nurse Manager: Ida Aldick, MSN, RN, CLC
• Clinical Quality Nurse Leader: Shirlow Smith-Campbell, MSN, RN

Unit Statistics

• Level III NICU, 32-bed ICU
• Level II NICU, 16-bed ICU
• Average daily census of 39

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is an eight-bed mixed acuity unit that provides nurturing expert care to patients from three days to 18 years old. The diverse conditions treated range from common newborn and childhood illnesses such as neonatal fever and asthma, to critically injured children requiring ICU level care. Nurses collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to deliver high-quality, family-centered care. The team works with our child life department to incorporate play and age-appropriate activities into the plan of care. The diversional activities reduce anxiety, increase trust, and promote healing in our pediatric patients. The décor of the unit is warm, welcoming and child friendly. Windows surround the unit and provide panoramic views of the city.

Teamwork and respect create a family-like work atmosphere that enables staff to better accomplish the mission to heal, to comfort, to educate, and to discover through quality health care, elimination of health disparities, medical education, innovation and research.

Unit Leadership

• Division Director of Nursing, Critical Care Services: David Meysenburg, MSN, RN, EMT-P, TCRN, CFRN
• Medical Director: Raphael Parrado M.D., M.S.
• Nurse Manager: Joe Tucker, MSN, RN, CPEN, CEN

Unit Statistics

• 8-bed ICU and intermediate care unit
• Average daily census of 5
• Daisy Award Winner
• Masters of Communication Patient Experience Award

Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU)

Medical Intensive Care Unit nurses are committed to monitoring and treating critically ill patients. Patient acuity is high and disease processes are wide ranging. Nurses in the unit work collaboratively with the entire multidisciplinary team to provide the best outcomes for patients recovering from life-threatening conditions. The MICU consists of 28 beds and benefits from an open unit structure that allows for optimal patient visibility and team communication. The MICU leadership team is committed to nursing excellence as well as cultivating an environment of staff engagement, professional growth and development, and teamwork. Inclusion, integrity, compassion, competence, and professionalism encompass the core values that guide the MICU to ensure they fulfill UF Health Jacksonville’s mission and vision. The MICU unit council helps promote evidenced-based change within our practice and unit.

In 2023, this unit was the first to win the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) GOLD Beacon Award designation. The honor is given to the country’s top nursing units that improve patient outcomes and align their practices with the AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment standards. The MICU has had consecutive Beacon designations since 2017 with Silver designations awarded from 2017-2020 and 2020-2023.

Unit Leadership

• Division Director of Nursing, Critical Care Services: David Meysenburg, MSN, RN, EMT-P, TCRN, CFRN
• Medical Director: Vandana K. Seeram, M.D.
• Nurse Manager: Brandy DeJesus, BSN, RN
• Clinical Quality Nurse Leader: Liezl Saylon MSN, APRN, NP-C, CCRN, LSSYB

Unit Statistics

• 28-bed ICU
• Average daily census of 28
• ECMO and MARS Team at UF Health
• 87% BSN RNs
• Critical Care Nurse Fellowship for all new hires in need of ICU experience
• AACN Beacon Gold Award
• Daisy Award Winner

Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU)

Nurses in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit care for patients with a variety of traumatic injuries from admissions to UF Health TraumaOne, the only adult and pediatric Level I trauma program in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. The unit cares for complex acute care surgery patients along with neuro-critical care. The SICU has a robust extracorporeal life support program for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia that cares for the trauma and medical-intensive patient population. Starting in late 2023, UF Health Jacksonville is the only organization in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia with Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System, or MARS. The SICU team uses an excellent multidisciplinary team approach for the care of their patients and patients’ families, as family-centered care is the focus of their work. The nursing team includes numerous Daisy Award recipients along with great 100 nurses’ winners. All nurses in the unit are encouraged to advance in their nursing practice, achieve national certifications, and continue to obtain higher education.

Unit Leadership

• Division Director of Nursing, Critical Care Services: David Meysenburg, MSN, RN, EMT-P, TCRN, CFRN
• Medical Director: Matthew Kochuba, M.D., FACS
• Nurse Manager: Austin Groves, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, TCRN

Unit Statistics

• 28-bed ICU co-located with the Neurocritical Care Unit
• Average daily census of 28
• ECMO and MARS team at UF Health
• 88% BSN RNs
• Critical Care Nurse Fellowship for all new hires in need of ICU experience
• Daisy Award Winner

Neurocritical Care Unit (NCCU)

The Neurocritical Care Unit has a team of highly skilled nursing staff who care for a variety of disease processes and are part of the organization’s Comprehensive Stroke Program. The Neuro ICU cares for complex neuro-intensive care patients experiencing strokes of varying degrees as well as other complex neurological disease processes. All of the nurses in the unit are encouraged to advance in their nursing practice, achieve national certifications, and continue to obtain higher education.

Unit Leadership

• Division Director of Nursing, Critical Care Services: David Meysenburg, MSN, RN, EMT-P, TCRN, CFRN
• Medical Director: Kimm McPhearson, D.O.
• Nurse Manager: Austin Groves, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, TCRN

Unit Statistics

• 28-bed ICU co-located with the Surgical ICU
• Average daily census of 28
• 88% BSN RNs
• Critical Care Nurse Fellowship for all new hires in need of ICU experience
• Daisy Award Winner

UF Health North

North Intensive and Intermediate Care Unit

The North Intensive Care Unit serves a wide variety of high-acuity patient populations. Nurses in the North ICU provide life-saving care to critically ill patients admitted from the operating room, Emergency Room and the Rapid Response Team. Nurses have a close working relationship with the intensivist team and use interdisciplinary rounds to facilitate a high-quality patient experience. Joining the North ICU team means you have a unique opportunity to advance your nursing skills by caring for medical-surgical and neurosurgical critical care patients in a supportive environment.

Unit Leadership

• Associate Vice President of Nursing, North Campus: Dalita Davis-Whitmore, DNP, MBA, NEA-BC, CNRN, SCRN
• Medical Director: Casey Carr, M.D.
• Nurse Manager: Derek James, DNP, RN, CCRN
• Clinical Quality Nurse Leader: Caitlin Thompson, MSN, RN

Unit Statistics

• 24-bed ICU and intermediate care unit
• Average daily census of 19
• Daisy Award Winner