About Us

Clinical services

Children who survive a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admission experience challenges not only associated with their primary ICU condition and concomitant treatment, but also a collection of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social symptoms. This assortment of symptoms has been named post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and can impact both pediatric patients (PICS-p) and their families (PICS-f).

Cross-collaborative approaches to assess and address PICS-p and PICS-f issues early in the recovery process are essential. As such, Dr. Cydni Williams & Dr. Trevor Hall founded the Pediatric Critical Care & Neurotrauma Recovery Program (PCCNRP) specifically to address issues related to PICS in children and families whom have been served at OHSU and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

Providers within the PCCNRP care for children of all ages, from babies to young adults. Our integrated, preventive and proactive model of care aims to “move the needle” on care as usual by integrating inpatient and outpatient care to elevate continuity, enhancing timely assessment and treatment to focus on prevention, and improving patient and family centered outcomes.

    In the hospital

    The PCCNRP team works to connect with every PCCNRP eligible child and their family when they are first hospitalized. 

    We establish care by introducing the family to the follow-up program, address any acute recovery needs related to PICS that the inpatient treatment team identifies as potential issues, and conduct an interview focused on pre-hospitalization levels of functioning. 

    Early recovery follow-up clinic

    We offer integrated follow-up clinical visits with Dr. Williams and Dr. Hall that occur 4 to 6 weeks post discharge from the hospital.

    The goal of this PCCNRP clinic is to provide a complete – early recovery phase – check up on how the child and their family are doing since they left the hospital. Dr. Williams completes both a physical and neurological exam while Dr. Hall completes an abbreviated neurocognitive assessment, as well as an assessment of emotional functioning within the child and family. Reports are generated with recommendations that are individualized with the intention of optimizing recovery.  

    Long term recovery follow-up clinic

    We offer integrated follow-up clinical visits with Dr. Williams and Dr. Hall that occur 9 to 12 months post discharge from the hospital. 

    The goal of this PCCNRP clinic is to provide a complete – long term recovery phase – check up on how the child and their family are doing since they left the hospital. Dr. Williams completes both a physical and neurological exam as needed within this clinic. Dr. Hall completes an individualized comprehensive neurocognitive assessment, as well as an assessment of emotional functioning within the child and family. Reports are generated with recommendations that are individualized with the intention of optimizing recovery. 

    Family focused psychology treatment clinic

    We offer time limited psychological treatment clinic for PICU survivors and their family when needed in the weeks and months after hospital discharge. 

    Struggles with adjusting to post hospital life and issues with posttraumatic stress symptoms may negatively impact families and interfere with the recovery progress in children. To address this, the PCCNRP psychology treatment clinic is evidenced based, focused on working through symptoms of stress after the hospital admission, and family oriented in its approach. 

    Hospitalized child with family and nurses at bedside

    Learn more about our clinical program:

    Research lab

    From the outset, the primary goal of the Pediatric Critical Care and Neurotrauma Recovery Program – Research Lab has been to develop a programmatic line of research aimed at improving our understanding of PICS by focusing on outcomes and intervention research, as well as clinical care advancement across care settings. We strive to conduct research that will result in providing patients and families with a personalized patient care experience following discharge from the PICU – ensuring that no patients “fall through the cracks” on their road to recovery. In short, our research is designed to inform enhancements in our clinical program in order to optimize outcomes in the children and families we serve.

    What we study

    • Post-intensive care syndrome
    • Sleep problems after critical illness and/or brain injury
    • Cognitive impacts after critical illness and/or brain injury
    • Family impact of critical illness and/or brain injury
    • Identification of modifiable risk factors for post-intensive care syndrome
    • Advanced methodology for measuring post-intensive care outcomes
    • Clinical trials evaluating interventions after pediatric critical illness and/or brain injury

    Learn more about ongoing studies