Newborns who need special attention, such as those born early and those who are ill, are cared for in the Intensive Care Nursery at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, directed by neonatologist Alan Shotkin, M.D., a specialist in infant care.

The advantages of having the same physician and nurse team close to home - from delivery to discharge - cannot be overstated. In our Intensive Care Nursery, babies are closely monitored by highly trained physicians and nurses around the clock, so that your baby goes home healthy and happy.

In addition, our babies enjoy the advantages of a consistent, highly-trained care team, from birth to discharge. A leading edge technology called "telemedicine" enables our physicians and parents at Memorial to consult with renowned pediatric cardiologists at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF). Through interactive video communication in real time, we perform specialized tests which would otherwise require a trip to the city.

In our Intensive Care Nursery babies are closely monitored by highly trained physicians and nurses around the clock, so that your baby goes home healthy and happy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I be concerned that the hospital where I deliver my baby is equipped with a Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery?

No. Statistics show that your baby will most likely be delivered in a normal manner and will be healthy and happy at birth. But when an infant arrives early or has serious health problems, you can be confident the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital will meet your newborn's special needs. Thanks to Memorial's partnership with the Intensive Care Nursery at University of California at San Francisco, you can be assured that your baby will receive the finest care available right in our own community.

Why does Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital partner with UCSF?

Countless medical advances were developed at UCSF, and neonatal intensive care originated there in the 1960s. UCSF's groundbreaking innovations in infant care have made it one of the finest Intensive Care Nursery sites in the world. For many years, UCSF has had a formal relationship with Memorial for the transfer of high-risk mothers and newborns to their San Francisco nursery. Under this arrangement, the two institutions collaborate to provide the most modern intensive care treatments available for premature and ill newborns in Sonoma County. UCSF provides Memorial with our neonatologists and our ICN Manager. In essence, our ICN functions as an extension of the outstanding infant care program at UCSF.

A leading-edge technology called "telemedicine" enables our physicians and parents at Memorial to consult with UCSF's renowned pediatric cardiologists. Through interactive video communication in real time, we perform specialized tests which would otherwise require a trip to the city.

Specialists at UCSF utilize telemedicine to consult with physicians and parents at Memorial, through live video feeds and other high-tech methods of communication. You will be able to consult with leading cardiologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, and other physicians who specialize in pediatric medicine. This partnership with UCSF provides state-of-the-art medical resources right here at Memorial. The same pediatric specialists from UCSF will be here in Santa Rosa, at Memorial Hospital, on a routine basis for consultation, evaluation and follow-up.

How else will my baby benefit from Memorial's partnership with UCSF?

Most babies of at least 28 weeks gestation born at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with health problems no longer need to be transferred to San Francisco. This eliminates the stress of the 90-minute-plus trip for a fragile newborn and supports the family unit, making the entire experience far less traumatic for everyone. . In addition, the baby receives the most consistent care possible from birth to discharge. In this important way, the care reflects the family-centered tradition for which Memorial is recognized.