![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ted-Deikel-Pamala-Deikel-and-Nicole-Krohn-who-is-Pamalas-daughter.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTed Deikel, Pamala Deikel and Nicole Krohn, who is Pamala\u2019s daughter<\/p>\n
For families facing complications during pregnancy or birth, what follows can be fear, urgency and a race against time to reach the right level of care.<\/p>\n
That reality is what inspired a transformational $10 million gift from Ted and Pamala Deikel<\/a> to establish Sutter Health\u2019s new Deikel Family Pediatric and Neonatal Transport Program.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are profoundly thankful to the Deikel family for this transformational gift and for their trust in Sutter Health,\u201d said Warner Thomas<\/a>, president and CEO of Sutter Health. \u201cTheir generosity reflects a deep belief in our not-for-profit mission and in the meaningful impact we can create together. With their support, we can strengthen care for our youngest patients and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n Rooted in a deep love for babies and families, their gift will rapidly connect critically ill newborns and children to the specialized care that gives them the best chance at survival and lifelong health.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you see the love that goes out to these children, it\u2019s hard not to get emotional,\u201d Pamala said. \u201cWe\u2019re very proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Nancy Chorne at Sutter\u2019s CPMC assists a baby in the hospital\u2019s Deikel Family NICU<\/p>\n Each year, more than 25,000 babies are born at Sutter hospitals. Between 13 and 15 percent require specialized NICU care<\/a>. In those moments, minutes matter.<\/p>\n \u201cA few hours can make the difference between life and death,\u201d said Dr. Terri Slagle, neonatologist and former chair of pediatrics at Sutter\u2019s CPMC.<\/p>\n Yet across Northern California, pediatric and neonatal transport has historically been fragmented, with hospitals operating independently rather than as a coordinated regional system.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery minute after birth is critical,\u201d said Dr. Loc Le<\/a>, neonatologist at CPMC. \u201cGetting a baby stabilized and transported quickly can completely change their trajectory.\u201d<\/p>\n The Deikel family\u2019s gift makes that change possible.<\/p>\n Philanthropy made it possible to move quickly and build the program at scale, accelerating what might otherwise have taken years to achieve.<\/p>\n Building a Regional Lifeline<\/p>\n The new program creates a fully integrated, 24\/7 regional transport network serving Northern California.<\/p>\n The program will be coordinated through Sutter Health\u2019s centralized Command Center, enabling real-time clinical decision-making and rapid deployment.<\/p>\n Across its network of 16 hospitals that deliver babies and seven NICUs, Sutter Health cares for more than 592,000 children for birth to adolescence each year.<\/p>\n The goal is clear: ensure babies and children reach the right facility based on medical need, not simply geography, whether at Sutter Health or another specialized center equipped to provide the care required.<\/p>\n For Dr. Conrad Vial<\/a>, president of the Sutter Health Network, the program reflects what distinguishes Sutter\u2019s integrated model of care.<\/p>\n \u201cIt fulfills the promise of a truly integrated system,\u201d Dr. Vial said. \u201cLots of systems talk about that, but not too many actually walk the walk.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThis gift opens access,\u201d said Allison Duignan, executive director of the CPMC Foundation. \u201cIt ensures that babies and children get to the right place for the care they need, not just the closest place.\u201d<\/p>\n Expanding Access to Advanced Neonatal Care<\/p>\n The Deikel family\u2019s long-standing philanthropic leadership helped establish CPMC\u2019s Deikel Family NICU, one of the region\u2019s most advanced centers for neonatal care. In 2024 alone, the NICU cared for 582 babies, including some of the most medically fragile infants in Northern California.<\/p>\n In spring 2026, the NICU will be launching a Small Baby Unit designed for extremely premature infants born as early as 22 weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are dedicated to caring for the most critically ill and tiniest patients,\u201d said Hollie Seeley<\/a>, RN, CEO of CPMC. \u201cThis extraordinary gift enables us to provide critical care to newborns right from the moment they enter the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Seeley, who previously served as a flight nurse, understands the stakes firsthand.<\/p>\n \u201cTime matters,\u201d she said. \u201cTraffic does not stop emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n Sutter Health CEO Warner Thomas and Ted Deikel<\/p>\n For Ted Deikel, the decision to invest in this next chapter was built on trust and partnership: \u201cI\u2019ve had 12 years to see who I\u2019m working with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n His reasoning behind this gift was three-fold.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, Warner Thomas\u2019s vision and commitment. Second, Hollie Seeley\u2019s experience and dedication to building this kind of program. And third, Pamala\u2019s passion. When you put those three pieces together, it becomes clear why we came to the conclusion we did.\u201d<\/p>\n A Human Beginning<\/p>\n For families like Wendy Armstrong\u2019s, access to advanced neonatal care is not abstract. It is personal.<\/p>\n![\"Doctor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dr.-Chrone-at-CPMC-NICU.jpg\")
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<\/a>Specialized teams will deploy by ground and air across Northern California, including helicopters equipped specifically for infants and children. Teams will operate in both the Bay Area and the Central Valley, supporting continuity of care from bedside to bedside. Each team will include pediatric EMTs, nurses, respiratory therapists and a medical director with specialized transport expertise.<\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Warner-Thomas-and-Ted-Deikel.jpg\")
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![\"Family](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Armstrong-Family.jpg\")
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