Photo from left to right: Dr. Ghizala Kaleem, Dr. Claudia Mueller, Dr. Nicholas Gianaris, Dr. Katelin Kramer, Dr. Delene Richburg, Dr. Loc Le, Dr. Christopher Retajczyk
New small baby unit combines a specialized care environment, evidence-based protocols and multidisciplinary expertise for extremely premature infants
By Jenn Lonzer, Vitals contributor
Sutter’s CPMC has opened The Cove, a specialized small baby unit within its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Van Ness campus, designed to meet the unique needs of infants born before 29 weeks gestation or weighing less than 1,000 grams.
Physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses and other members of the care team gathered Sept. 15 to mark the opening of the new unit, which brings together a purpose-built environment and specialized clinical protocols focused on the needs of CPMC’s smallest and most vulnerable patients.
Ready to welcome our smallest patients. Patient rooms in The Cove at Sutter’s CPMC are designed to provide a quieter, darker, developmentally supportive environment for extremely premature infants, with space for families to remain close and participate in their baby’s care.
“The Cove is a safe harbor in the Bay Area – a calm, protected space for the most fragile babies to get strong enough to go out into the larger world,” said Dr. Katelin Kramer, a neonatologist with Sutter West Bay Medical Group. “We have a shared goal of developmentally supportive care. We’re very intentional about keeping the space quieter and darker, more like the uterine environment they’d still be developing in.”
For babies born extremely prematurely, small changes in their environment and care can make an important difference. The Cove is designed to provide greater consistency in how these infants are cared for during a critical period of growth and development.
“Research shows that small baby units provide better consistency in care,” Dr. Kramer said. “We want to stay at the cutting edge of care delivery.”
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Care
Creating The Cove involved much more than establishing a dedicated physical space. A multidisciplinary team reviewed and redesigned how care is delivered to extremely premature infants, developing policies and protocols specifically for this patient population.
Nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, social workers, nutritionists, physicians and advanced practice clinicians worked across six committees focused on key aspects of care, including nutrition, the first critical hour after birth, family-centered care, neurodevelopment and neuroprotection, skin and infection prevention, and respiratory care.
“The new policies and care protocols in place for The Cove will improve patient outcomes,” said Dr. Loc Le, chief of neonatology at Sutter’s CPMC, also with SWBMG. “I’m really proud of all the work everyone put into it. I think what we’re doing here is transformative for the NICU.”
That coordinated approach is particularly important for infants whose medical needs can change rapidly and who may spend weeks or months in the hospital. It also creates greater consistency for families navigating an extraordinarily difficult and uncertain time.
Extending Specialized Neonatal Care Across the Region
The Cove also strengthens access to highly specialized neonatal care for families throughout the Bay Area and surrounding communities.
“When an infant is born extremely premature, time and distance are critical factors in outcomes,” said Dr. Christopher Retajczyk, chief of neonatology for Sutter Health. “The Cove allows more families to remain close to their baby throughout treatment, and for infants who can’t be brought here immediately, our neonatal transport teams deliver that same level of specialized, expert care, safely stabilizing critically ill newborns before transporting them hospitals throughout the region.”
That regional network means The Cove’s reach extends beyond the infants cared for inside the unit.
“This unit’s impact isn’t confined to these walls,” Dr. Retajczyk said. “It extends that standard of care well beyond San Francisco.”
The Cove was made possible with support from the Deikel Family Foundation and reflects a shared investment in advancing care for extremely premature infants and their families.
Read more about the Deikel family’s $10M gift for newborn care.
