Raising the Bar in the ICU

Intensivist Jay Cowen, MD saw a new care model that transformed his thinking during a fellowship in surgical critical care in Australia in 1990. At the time, even the word "intensivist" was rare in the United States. But in Australia, critical care was recognized as a unique medical discipline, and each intensive care unit was headed by an intensivist who provided a single point of leadership and set standards for quality of care. When Dr. Cowen returned to work in U.S. ICUs, he saw much less focus on coordination, standardization, and accountability.