A multidisciplinary intensive care unit has been developed in a community hospital by planning tech-niques which are still not common in the hospital development environment. The resulting Acute Care Center has special attributes, especially in ongoing professional educational and consultation support, in continuous physician staffing around the clock, in equipment, and in operational policies. The net result appears to be the provision of a higher standard of patient care, a lower mortality rate for the critically ill patient, and various cost benefits. The concepts and policies involved are being met with increasing acceptance in the local medical community.