Honoring ICU teams during National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month
Every year, more than 5 million people in the United States are admitted to intensive care units, where highly specialized teams provide round-the-clock monitoring and life‑saving treatment for the most serious injuries and illnesses. Care in the ICU demands constant assessment, advanced technology and deep clinical expertise, far beyond what is required in non-intensive care settings.
ICU teams across Sutter Health are being recognized for delivering that level of care when patients are at their most vulnerable. The not-for-profit, California-based health system continues to improve outcomes for critically ill patients, including reducing admissions and supporting patients and families through complex issues and end-of-life care.
Because ICU patients present a wide range of conditions and needs, from trauma and respiratory failure to infection and organ failure, delivering exceptional critical care requires precise coordination and rapid decision-making. That level of treatment is especially crucial when treating sepsis, one of the most dangerous and challenging conditions hospitals face.
Each year, approximately 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection that contributes to an estimated 10–30% of deaths among those affected. The most severe form, septic shock, can be fatal in up to half of all cases. Older adults, young children and people with chronic conditions are at the highest risk, and even survivors may experience long-term physical and psychological effects with post‑sepsis syndrome.
Across Sutter Health, outcomes for septic shock continue to outperform key benchmarks. All Sutter hospitals reported mortality rates below the system target of 28%.
Through a focus on early recognition, rapid treatment and coordinated care, Sutter clinicians helped save 772 lives in the past year among patients with septic shock.
“Caring for our sickest patients requires extraordinary coordination, clinical excellence and resilience,” said Dr. William Isenberg, chief medical and quality officer at Sutter Health. “Our ICU teams bring all that together every day, managing the most complex cases while never losing sight of the human side of care. Their work directly impacts the outcomes and experiences of our most vulnerable patients.”
That commitment to high-quality critical care was nationally recognized by Healthgrades in 2026, with multiple Sutter hospitals earning awards and five-star ratings for superior outcomes in clinical care, including sepsis treatment.
2026 Critical Care Awards
Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Alta Bates Campus
- Critical Care Excellence Award™ for eight consecutive years
- Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Critical Care for eight consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 10 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for two consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Diabetic Hospitalizations for two consecutive years
Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center—Summit Campus
- One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Critical Care™ for nine consecutive years
- Critical Care Excellence Award™ for 10 consecutive years
- Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Critical Care for nine consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 16 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism for six consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for four consecutive years
Sutter Amador Hospital
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for eight consecutive years
Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 17 consecutive years
Sutter’s CPMC – Davies Campus
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for six consecutive years
Sutter’s CPMC – Mission Bernal Campus
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 12 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for two consecutive years
Sutter’s CPMC – Van Ness Campus
- Critical Care Excellence Award™ for three consecutive years
- Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Critical Care for three consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 19 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism for two consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure
Sutter Davis Hospital
- Critical Care Excellence Award™
- Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Critical Care
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 15 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure
Sutter Delta Medical Center
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for three consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Diabetic Hospitalizations
Sutter’s Eden Medical Center
- Critical Care Excellence Award™ for 10 consecutive years
- Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Critical Care for 10 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 17 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for six consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Diabetic Hospitalizations
Sutter Lakeside Hospital
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for nine consecutive years
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
- Critical Care Excellence Award™ for three consecutive years
- Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Critical Care for three consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 16 consecutive years
Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center
- One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Critical Care™ for 13 consecutive years
- No. 4 in California for Critical Care
- Critical Care Excellence Award™ for 13 consecutive years
- Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Critical Care for 13 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 22 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for five consecutive years
Sutter’s Novato Community Hospital
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 14 consecutive years
Sutter Roseville Medical Center
- One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Critical Care™ for seven consecutive years
- Critical Care Excellence Award™ for 15 consecutive years
- Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Critical Care for seven consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 16 consecutive years
Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 18 consecutive years
Sutter Solano Medical Center
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for seven consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for two consecutive years
Sutter Tracy Community Hospital
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis for 13 consecutive years
- Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for three consecutive years
