BOISE, Idaho — St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center had the ribbon cutting for the first advanced Neuro, Surgical, Trauma Intensive Care Unit (NeST) in the state.

The new facility located on the third floor of the South Tower (previously inpatient rehab) includes 18 ICU and 17 stepdown rooms (stepdown rooms provide an intermediate level of care between ICU and general medical-surgical units) and has connecting hallways to the Central and North Towers. Dental Chair Lights

St. Al's is already the most advanced Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center in the region. Adding NeST allows for the latest technology to be available for staff and patients.

Proceeds from the 2022 Festival of Trees funded the purchase of a portable CT scanner, effectively eliminating the need to transport critically ill patients for imaging. Other noteworthy capability adds include portable Natus EEG brain monitoring, ceiling-mounted lifts in every room, ceiling booms allowing for 360 degree access to patients and dedicated elevator access to the helicopter landing pad on the roof.

Every patient room is private, including a private bathroom and sleeper sofas for visitors and just under 400sf.

The facility expands the number of ICU beds available at the Boise hospital to 77.

St. Alphonsus has also been designated as a Multidisciplinary Team of Distinction by the North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) in recognition of its commitment to Skull Base specialty care, the only hospital in Idaho to earn such distinction, and one of only 48 in the US and Canada.

Skull base surgery is a highly specialized, minimally invasive surgical technique for evaluating, diagnosing and treating benign or cancerous growths located on the underside of the brain, the base of the skull and the upper vertebrae of the spinal column.

Minor Ot Light Brain abnormalities treated with skull base surgery include skull base tumor, aneurysm, trigeminal neuralgia, brain abscess, hematoma, arteriovenous malformation and hydrocephalus.