Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Advanced care when your child needs it the most

Life-threatening illness or injuries happen to all ages. If your child ever needs life-saving medical care, know that Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital's pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is standing by to help.

A leading team of specialists in an advanced facility

Our PICU in Charlotte, North Carolina, provides care for the most severe illnesses and injuries with a compassionate touch. Our team of children’s intensive-care trained doctors and nurses works closely with respiratory therapists, pharmacists, nutritionists and child-life professionals to monitor patients 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Hemby Children's Hospital's PICU is home to a large multidisciplinary team, including pediatric intensivists, specially trained PICU nurses and respiratory therapists, pediatric pharmacists, pediatric nutritionists, pediatric occupational and physical therapists, and many other pediatric subspecialists.

State of the art technologies and therapies include invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation, neurological pressure monitoring, cardiorespiratory monitoring, EEG monitoring, invasive arterial and venous catheter placement and monitoring, PICC line placement and deep sedation for painful procedures.

These technologies and expertise allow us to care for a large swath of conditions, including severe respiratory illnesses, cardiac illnesses, all infectious diseases, a broad range of neurological diseases, hematology and oncological illnessses. We also care for a variety of post-operative patients, including children undergoing neurological, thoracic, abdominal, orthopedic, urological and ENT surgeries.

Compassionate patient and family support

Our care environment is designed for you to take an active role during your child’s stay. Our-facility provides large, private rooms that are family friendly rooms to support direct family involvement in the care of PICU patients. Our child life staff is available to comfort your child and family during your stay. Together, we are here to provide compassionate and effective care when you and your child need it the most.

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Providers

L. Eugene Daugherty, MD

Dr. Daugherty approaches pediatric critical care from a whole-patient, whole-family perspective. A child with urgent medical needs is often facing numerous, even seemingly unrelated challenges. He is focused on working through such complexities, and draws on both experience and new research to maintain the broadest medical view possible – always working in concert with specialists. Dr. Daugherty also understands the toll that a child’s illness can have on a family. He strives for open and clear communication, offering advice and comfort as they are needed. In his personal life, Dr. Daugherty enjoys ambitious home improvement projects, time with his wife and two daughters, and just enough exercise to stay healthy.

Emily Nazarian, MD

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Emily Nazarian, MD

Dr. Nazarian’s decision to become a pediatric critical care physician was driven by her passion to care for the sickest children, while supporting all those that love them. As a wife, and mother of four, she recognizes the need to care for the whole patient, including the emotional, psychological, and family challenges that accompany any critical pediatric illness. Dr. Nazarian spent more than two decades in a large teaching hospital, and she is excited to bring this experience to the Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital PICU and its team of caring professionals.

Erin V. Trakas, MD

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Erin V. Trakas, MD

Dr. Trakas believes that critical illness recovery often extends beyond the PICU, which is why she is focused on improving long-term outcomes of PICU patients. She is particularly interested in pediatric neuro-ICU care, and pediatric trauma, and strives to customize an evidence-based care plan for each patient. Dr. Trakas’ interest in children began with her time as a high school science teacher and girls’ basketball coach and continued in her work as a general pediatrician in rural South Carolina, caring for medically underserved children. Outside work, Dr. Trakas enjoys spending time with her husband and son, playing golf, running, reading and travel. She’s always ready to cheer on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.