Be-Pics is a multidisciplinary non-profit organization (medical and paramedical), founded in November 2020, which brings together healthcare professionals working in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU’s) in Belgium. Be-Pics formalizes pre-existing medical collaborative initiatives (previously BVKI/ABIP or Belgische Vereniging voor Kinder-Intensivisten / Association Belge des Intensivistes Pédiatriques) and expands it membership to nurses and other paramedical specialties, as psychologists and physiotherapists, involved in the care for critically ill children. We further offer membership to all those healthcare professionals supporting our goals.
Being a small specialty, the Pediatric Intensive Care community believes its strength lies in its close professional relationship and in the multidisciplinary character of our group. The core aim of Be-Pics is to promote the quality of Pediatric Intensive Care through training, research and education. Be-Pics also collects and disseminates information, supports establishment of a Belgian PICU-registry and aims to offer a forum for discussion. Be-Pics wants to convey the knowledge and organization in the field of Pediatric Intensive Care in a positive manner to the public, and seeks to transparently represent the view of its members on a national (other societies, policy makers) and international level.
Fortunately, life-threatening conditions in children are rare. However, there are important differences in the presentation and treatment of diseases leading to organ failure in children, when compared with adult patients. In addition, technical support for children with organ failure requires appropriate equipment, knowledge and experience. A holistic approach with attention to the specific psychological needs of the child and it’s family is crucial and requires the necessary expertise. In our view, care for critically ill children should be centralized in specially equipped units with specifically trained physicians and nurses, and with support from other relevant pediatric specialties. That is why we strive for the recognition of Pediatric Intensive Care Departments, as well as for the recognition of specific training programs, both in Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine as for PICU-nurses in Belgium.
To meet European standards, we work closely together with the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC).
Be-Pics aims to be an organization FOR and BY its members. As this will define how strong we are, we welcome all members to join the scientific or educational working groups and help shaping YOUR Be-Pics.
Currently we represent members working in different Belgian hospitals providing dedicated PICU-facilities.
Corneel Heymanslaan 10
9000 Gent
Drie Eikenstraat 655
2650 Edegem
Blancefloerlaan 303
2050 Antwerpen
E. Mounierlaan 81
1200 Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe
Rue Ferrer 159
7100 La Louvière
On January 21st, 80 Be-Pics members attended our virtual meeting ‘Life on PICU during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemia’. You can watch the presentations by Els Duval and Séverine Goenen again.
Every healthcare professional, albeit medical, nursing or paramedical, actively involved on a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, or who supports the aims of our society, can become a member of Be-Pics.
Benefits of membership include :
Are you already a Be-Pics member ? Membership extension only requires payment of the annual membership fee, which is 100€ for effective medical members and 20€ for all effective non-medical members (nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists) and for all joined members.
All payments can be made on the ING account BE 08 3632 1054 5513 of Be-Pics VZW, with mentioning of “name – membership Be-Pics 2023”.
Are you interested in becoming a new Be-pics member? Please apply via https://www.be-pics.be/en/membership
If interested, please contact Pieter De Cock via e-mail Pieter.Decock@uzgent.be.
Participants will engage in an interview on this relevant topic, conducted by the main investigator. If interested, please contact Annemie Moors via e-mail annemie.moors@uzgent.be.
Our community vows to support each other in providing pediatric critical care for all children requiring this. For any queries regarding PICU bed-availability, following contactnumbers are available:
CHC Liège: 04/3555200 (Medical coordination)
Citadelle Hôpital Liège: 04/3216111 (ask for Salle 39 – PICU)
Hôpital de Jolimont: 064/234872 (Medical coordination)
HUDERF Bruxelles: 02/4773240 or 02/4773241 (PICU)
UZ Antwerpen: 03/8213500 (Medical coordination)
UZ Brussel: 02/4763062 (Medical coordination) or 02/4777715 (PICU)
UZ Gent: 09/3326955 (Medical coordination) or 09/3320551 (PICU)
UZ Leuven: 016/340979 (Medical coordination)
UCL Bruxelles: 02/7642700 (Medical coordination)
Het Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen gaat verder met de uitbouw van haar Kinderintensieve Zorgen afdeling en is daarvoor op zoek naar meerdere enthousiaste nieuwe kinderintensivisten! Op dit ogenblik telt onze dienst 9 bedden, waarbij ouders dag en nacht bij hun kind kunnen verblijven. Er is ondersteuning van een uitgebreid team kinderartsen met vertegenwoordiging van alle tertiaire pediatrische subdisciplines waaronder een groeiende dienst pediatrische onco-hematologie. Verder is er een uitgebreid aanbod in de verschillende disciplines van de pediatrische chirurgie. Onze (kinder) spoed is erkend als level 1 traumacentrum.
Voor informatie of het maken van een afspraak kan men zich wenden tot Els Duval, hetzij via mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), hetzij via telefoon (0492.203848).
UZ Gent provides full-range PICU-support including respiratory support, renal replacement therapy and ECMO for a mixed medical/surgical/cardiac surgical patient population, in a state-of-the-art 14-bed PICU-facility, embedded in the Prinses Elisabeth Kinderziekenhuis. A holistic and interdisciplinary (medical and nursing) approach with 24/7 family-centered care is highly valued. More details are to be found via following link:
Verpleegkundige intensieve zorg, spoedgevallen en brandwondencentrum (uzgent.be)
