Ventura, CA – The Ventura County Health Care Agency announces the opening at 7:00 a.m. this morning of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC), located at 3291 Loma Vista Road, Ventura. The newly opened unit will care for gravely ill children, and is the only PICU in the county.

Dr. Robert Gonzalez, the Health Care Agency Director, says the opening of the new PICU on the VCMC campus has been a goal for the hospital for some time now. “This unit, under the medical leadership of Dr. John Marcum, will allow very sick children the opportunity to be cared for close to home. This is a wonderful advantage for families who are already undergoing a stressful time.”

Dr. John Marcum, the VCMC Pediatric Intensive Care Director, comes to VCMC with 10 years of experience. He was formerly Director of Pediatric Intensive Care at North Central Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Marcum graduated from medical school at the University of Southern California, and following his residency in pediatrics, completed a fellowship in Critical Care at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Marcum is Board Certified in general pediatrics and pediatric critical care medicine. “So many people have worked for many months to see this realized and this opening today is the culmination of the dedicated team here at VCMC and the tremendous amount of heart and soul they put into the services they provide to this community.”

The VCMC PICU has received generous support from the community, including the Harriet H. Samulesson Foundation and the Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation.

A grand opening celebration for the new PICU at VCMC, which will be announced shortly.