UCSF launches second neonatal transport to reach the bay and beyond

— What’s New

• In 2025, more than 400 critically ill infants were transported to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. 

• UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals now have dedicated neonatal transport vehicles and teams in Oakland and San Francisco, reaching patients across the San Francisco Bay Area, the East Bay, Central Valley, and broader Northern California region. 

• UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland serves the most patients for a freestanding pediatric trauma center in Northern California.  

Each year, tens of thousands of newborn babies suffer from life-threatening conditions. These infants need specialized medical care to survive, but they face barriers if they live in suburban, rural, or underserved areas with fewer medical resources.  

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals is bridging the care gap by establishing a new neonatal transport team based in Oakland — in addition to the existing San Francisco-based team — to transport critically ill infants from around Northern California to its neonatal intensive care units. 

"We want our youngest patients to get the best care possible, no matter whether they live in the San Francisco area, East Bay, Central Valley, or beyond," said Spencer Magargal, MD, FAAP, medical director of neonatal transportation at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. "UCSF’s investment in our broader community with an additional neonatal transport team will bring faster response times so that children, families, and medical providers can depend on us when they need it most." 

Neonatal transport teams operate 24/7 and year-round, making lifesaving calls in ambulances, helicopters, and planes. The teams operate on the ground or in the air with neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, neonatologists, and nurse practitioners who serve as a vital bridge to highly specialized care at neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). 

In 2025, UCSF Benioff’s Children’s Hospitals neonatal transport teams made over 400 transports. These transports represent newborn and critically ill infants in need of advanced care for conditions like heart or lung failure and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain that can occur during labor and delivery. After patients are transported, pediatric subspecialists in NICUs use lifesaving techniques, like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), only available at specialized children’s hospitals. 

Carson M. was only 8 hours old when doctors in the East Bay discovered she was suffering from a rare condition called Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome (CHAOS). The condition blocks patients’ airways, causing them to be unable to breathe on their own, and fluid becomes trapped in the lungs. In need of immediate, lifesaving care — Carson was quickly transported by helicopter to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. 

“As a mother having just given birth, the last thing you want to hear is that your child’s life is in danger and they need to be transported,” said Chelsea T., Carson’s mother. “I hope no parents go through the scare of wondering whether their newborn baby will survive, but if they do, trust the care and expertise of your medical team. Dr. Magargal and Carson’s medical team saved my daughter’s life, and now we get to celebrate all the small moments of joy, like when Carson smiles.” 

James Anderson, MD, section chief of neonatology at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, says Carson’s situation exemplifies the need for an additional transport team. 

“If an infant in the Central Valley needed immediate attention at the same time as Carson in the East Bay, the two neonatal transport teams could launch simultaneously and ensure children from both areas have access to the best care possible," said Anderson. 

In January 2026, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals will launch a new fleet of upgraded transport vehicles. The upgrades demonstrate a continued commitment to serve the most vulnerable patients in the Northern California region and beyond. 

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, a Level I pediatric trauma center, serves the largest number of patients of any freestanding pediatric trauma center in Northern California. The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals’ combined neonatology department ranked sixth in the nation in the 2025-26 U.S. News and World Report children’s hospital rankings. 

About UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals

UCSF Benioff UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are among the nation’s leading pediatric specialty hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report 2024-25 rankings. Their expertise covers virtually all pediatric conditions, including cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, pulmonology, diabetes and endocrinology, as well as the care of critically ill newborns. The two campuses in San Francisco and Oakland are known for basic and clinical research, and for translating research into interventions for treating and preventing pediatric disease. They are part of UCSF Health, whose adult hospital ranks among the top medical centers nationwide and serves as the teaching hospital for the University of California, San Francisco, a national leader in biomedical research and graduate-level health/sciences education. Visit www.ucsfhealth.org.  

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