State lifts restrictions on Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital’s Pediatric ICU

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - California's Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has lifted its admission restrictions on Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital's pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) put in place after the unit was found to be out of compliance in a report last year.

DHCS placed California Children's Services (CCS) admission restrictions on Cottage's PICU after completing a review on July 11, 2023.

The review identified 49 deficiencies including the PICU not meeting CCS standards, inadequate policies and procedures to guide PICU operations, and a delay in care and outgoing transports to higher levels of care.

The CCS program serves young people with chronic conditions, such as cancer or cerebral palsy, up to the age of 21. 

Cottage Hospital agreed to be put a corrective action plan (CAP) on July 25, 2023. 

DHCS confirmed with News Channel that as of Feb. 1, Cottage Hospital's PICU is once again a CCS-approved facility and has lifted admission restrictions and can start admitting patients in the CCS program. 

"Our PICU has met all the regulatory requirements and is again able to provide care for patients in the CCS program. We are reaching out to families in the program who may need our intensive care unit," said Christina Cortez, Public Relations Manager at Cottage Hospital. 

Leah Myers, an Information Officer with DHCS, said the state will continue to monitor Cottage Hospital through data reviews.

"If DHCS identifies any significant issues/deficiencies, it will work with SBCH immediately to address, allowing DHCS to adequately evaluate if SBCH has demonstrated sufficient implementation of corrections the hospital submitted to complete the CAP process," said Myers.