Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health has launched the Deikel Family Pediatric and Neonatal Transport Program backed by a $10 million gift.
Four things to know:
1. The donation comes from Ted and Pamala Deikel, according to a March 3 health system news release. The new program creates a fully integrated, 24/7 regional transport network serving Northern California.
2. Specialized teams will deploy by ground and air, including helicopters equipped specifically for infants and children. The program will be coordinated through Sutter Health’s centralized command center.
3. Each year, more than 25,000 babies are born at Sutter hospitals, and between 13% and 15% require specialized NICU care. Across its network of 16 hospitals that deliver babies and seven NICUs, Sutter Health cares for more than 592,000 children from birth to adolescence each year.
4. With expanded capacity, the program is expected to enable 2,000 to 3,000 pediatric and neonatal transports annually, including hundreds to the Deikel Family NICU in San Francisco. In 2024, the NICU cared for 582 babies and plans to launch a “small baby unit” in spring 2026 for infants born as early as 22 weeks.
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