Home Intensive Care Unit (HICU®): Pediatric Care at Home
Helping medically complex children leave the ICU and come home—safely and with confidence.
Delivering a structured, team-based path that keeps medically fragile children stable at home—and out of the ICU
BAYADA’s Home Intensive Care Unit (HICU®) is a 12-week, home-based step-down program for infants and children with high-acuity medical needs, offering a reliable, value-aligned transition from NICU/PICU to home.
Supports earlier, safer discharges for medically complex infants and children
Addresses a key gap when a child is medically ready , but home support is uncertain and readmission risk is high
Deploys dedicated pediatric HICU-certified nurses to manage the most fragile children after discharge
Shortens NICU/PICU stays , reduces avoidable readmissions, and frees critical care capacity
Provides hands-on complex care in the home while coaching and empowering families
Ensures continuity of care through close collaboration with hospital teams and smooth transition to ongoing BAYADA Pediatrics nursing
Exceptional care for a variety of needs and diagnoses
From micro-preemies to children catastrophically injured, we help children and families live and thrive at home, including those who are:
Technology-dependent (tracheostomy, ventilator, gastrostomy tube, complex airway)
Experiencing delayed discharge due to home-care readiness or staffing challenges
At higher risk for readmissions or emergency utilization without structured support
Returning home to families who need intensive training and predictable nursing coverage
Measurable outcomes that reduce costs, readmissions, and length of stay
HICU® was designed to support value-based care goals—addressing pressure on length of stay, limited ICU capacity, and the high cost of avoidable readmissions—while keeping children safe at home and thriving.
In multiple cases, children supported through HICU® avoided rehospitalization entirely and transitioned smoothly into long-term pediatric nursing— delivering measurable value across utilization, cost, and quality benchmarks without compromising safety or family experience.
Proven HICU® outcomes:
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Reduction in hospital readmission rate
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Average cost savings per patient per year
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Reliability rate
Jesse’s Story: Advanced Pediatric Home Care That Changes What’s Possible
Jesse’s journey shows what happens when high-acuity care at home is truly tailored—not just shifted—from the hospital. BAYADA HICU® certified nurses built his plan around his specific risks, ventilator and trach needs, family capacity, and home environment, then adjusted coverage and goals as he stabilized. That kind of skilled nursing and tight clinical oversight is exactly what John Lovelace, Former President, UPMC for You, speaks to in this video:
"when care is customized to the child and coordinated across the team, outcomes improve, hospital days drop, and total costs come down."
Real children. Real HICU® success stories
Every HICU® referral represents a child whose hospital stay was measured in months—not days—and a family preparing to manage complex care at home.
From Hospital Hallways to Happy Birthdays: Trevor’s HICU® Journey Home
Before he could chase toy trucks or pretend to sail the seas as a pirate, Trevor spent nearly his entire first year of life at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. With specialized support from BAYADA HICU®, he was able to safely transition home, where he could finally run, play, and grow. For referral partners, Trevor’s story shows how BAYADA HICU® helps medically fragile children move from hospital to home while continuing to make meaningful progress.
For Drew, BAYADA HICU® certified nurses didn’t follow a generic protocol—they partnered with his hospital team and single mom to build a 12-week home transition plan around his extreme prematurity, trach and ventilator needs, and limited family support. His schedule, nursing coverage, and family teaching were adjusted week by week as he stabilized, with clear goals for ventilator weaning, feeding, and mobility that matched exactly where he was in his recovery. Because his care plan was truly customized to him, Drew moved from a ventilator-dependent infant to a child walking independently, eating by mouth, and hitting milestones at home instead of in the hospital.
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Total cost of care savings
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Hospital days avoided
For Rita, BAYADA HICU® certified nurses started by designing a plan that reflected her exact reality—an 18‑month‑old with Turner syndrome, chronic respiratory failure, and multiple complex conditions coming home after a long inpatient stay. Her in‑home care, respiratory support, and family education were calibrated to her specific triggers and tolerances, then refined over time as nurses closely monitored her response, caught an early viral illness, and adjusted her regimen to keep her safe at home. Because her care path was built around her rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all protocol, Rita has been able to walk independently, rely on less respiratory support, and experience fewer episodes of nausea and vomiting while growing and thriving at home.
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Total cost of care savings
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Hospital days avoided
For Xayne, BAYADA HICU® certified nurses built a plan around a very specific mix of needs: a 10‑month‑old with a tracheostomy, ventilator dependency, and a gastrostomy tube coming home under the care of the Mount Laurel Pediatric office. His first 12 weeks at home were structured to match that complexity—comprehensive respiratory and feeding support, close monitoring, and stepwise family education designed to keep him stable and out of the hospital. Because his care was tailored so intentionally to his age, devices, and home setting, Xayne was able to celebrate his first birthday at home and begin eating by mouth, all with zero rehospitalizations during his HICU® period.
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Total cost of care savings
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Hospital days avoided
For Zaamira, BAYADA HICU® certified nurses shaped a plan around her first year spent largely in the hospital, her ventilator dependence, and her mom’s need for predictable, highly skilled support at home. Her first 12 weeks were structured to balance intensive respiratory management with developmental goals—gradually shifting her from full ventilator support to HME during waking hours while coaching her mom through each new skill and milestone. Because her care path was built specifically for her history and home environment, Zaamira was able to celebrate her first birthday at home, stay out of the hospital during her HICU® period, and quickly move into crawling, pulling to stand, and enjoying the outdoors with her mom.
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Total cost of care savings
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Hospital days avoided
From Complex Airway to Confident Homecoming: Esme’s HICU® Story
Esme was born with a cervical and facial lymphatic malformation that extends to her epiglottis, leading to a prolonged inpatient stay and a highly complex plan of care. With the skilled support of the BAYADA HICU® team, she was able to transition safely home, where her family could confidently manage her needs in a familiar environment. For referral partners, Esme’s story demonstrates how BAYADA HICU® brings specialized, hospital-level care into the home for children with complex airway and lymphatic needs.
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How to refer a patient or start a conversation
To refer or learn more, call Melissa Klinger at 610-343-1000, email [email protected], or fill out the form below.
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BAYADA is a nonprofit organization with more than 50 years of experience caring for children and adults at home. HICU® builds on that foundation with a specialized model for the most medically complex pediatric patients.
BAYADA HICU®—a reliable partner in bringing medically fragile children home safely.