The Clinical Decision Unit strives to provide high-quality patient care to those emergency department patients needing further management to determine their need for inpatient admission. The unit provides active management of specific conditions and is designed to provide short term treatments and tests in an efficient, safe, and comfortable environment. CDU patients comprise all age ranges from pediatric to geriatric.
The CDU team also cares for patients following a procedure in the Cardiovascular Lab or following general surgery.
Patients are generally stable and are expected to recover within 48 hours. If a patient requires admission to the hospital, that can occur right from the CDU.
The CDU team can also manage patient transfers to other facilities via critical care transport through partnerships with Lyon County EMS and LifeSave Transport.

What the Clinical Decision Unit team does:

• Closely monitor a patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, temperature, pain level, and blood tests
• Cares for up to 12 patients at a time
• Manages post-cardiac-event care
• Manages care following heart catheterization procedures who are in stable condition and not in need of admission
• Manages suspected stroke care who are in stable condition and not in need of admission
• Performs advanced testing and monitoring including cardiac stress tests
• Performs observation and care for Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) patients who require an overnight stay
• Performs weekend treatments of medicine infusions and wound care on an out-patient basis
• Observes and cares for patients presenting with chest pain, shortness of breath, abnormal blood work, fever, dizziness, fainting, and pain
• Observes post-surgical patients through short term recovery
• Provides care for patients suffering from mental health issues

What makes the Clinical Decision Unit at Newman Regional Health Different?

• It is housed inside of the newly remodeled, state-of-the-art emergency department
• Heightened entrance and exit security
• Separate waiting room for family members away from the emergency room
• Equipped with state-of-the-art bio-monitoring systems
• Has special safe rooms that can be made into ligature-free environments for the care and observations of patients who require special mental health-related observation techniques
• Equipped with special rooms that can be used for patients that need to be placed in airborne and contact controlled conditions

Clinical Decision Unit care is provided by a healthcare team that includes:

• Doctors
• Advanced Practice Providers
• Registered Nurses
• Lab Technicians
• Therapy Technicians
• Nursing Assistants
• Care Coordination by a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)