When we say "acute care unit" or "ACU," we are referring to the inpatient unit of our hospital. Patients in the ACU receive high-quality treatment for severe injuries or illnesses and urgent medical conditions, as well as rehab care or care while they’re recovering from surgery.
Prosser Memorial Health's ACU team consists of dedicated hospitalists, registered nurse practitioners, technicians and other team members dedicated to making your stay as comfortable as possible while you recover and heal.
The ACU delivers the following advantages:
- Integrated services—this ensures that care is high quality and delivered fast
- On-site pharmacy team
- On-site rehab services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy
- Rapid response team, which provides earlier intervention to prevent the worsening of a condition
- Advanced diagnostics, which accurately speeds the start of treatment for best results
- Social services included in the ACU clinical team—this makes discharge and home care planning a part of every patient's care transition
What to expect when your loved one is in the ACU
- The hospitalist on duty will talk to you about the care plan for your loved one.
- Our nursing teams work in 12-hour shifts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. During the shift change, the nurse going off duty will give a bedside shift change report to the nurse that they will hand-off care to.
- We will educate you and the patient on the medications prescribed, when to take them and any potential side effects.
- Our social services team will assist you and your loved one with discharge instructions and help you make arrangements if in-home care is needed.
- A follow-up home visit might be scheduled through our Community Paramedic Program to check in with the patient and answer any questions that may have come up since discharge.
Frequently asked questions about the ACU
When you visit our hospital for an acute medical condition or injury, we'll assess your situation and decide on the best treatment. Sometimes that involves a hospital stay, and sometimes it doesn't. You might be discharged with instructions to follow up with your general practitioner. If we feel your condition requires more specific care or regular monitoring, we'll have you stay in the hospital until your condition improves.
Acute care covers many of the hospital's departments, including the emergency department, urgent care (clinics), obstetrics, surgery and transitional care.
A great acute care hospital is one that has a large, well-trained medical staff capable of handling a variety of medical conditions, illnesses and injuries. In our more than 70 years of treating Prosser residents with acute medical conditions, we've seen just about everything and can provide the highest-quality care close to home.