Impact Report | HonorHealth NICU
Strong futures start here
Your support turns early challenges into lifelong strength
Because of your kindness, compassion and generosity, HonorHealth’s Scottsdale Shea Medical Center is able to deliver specialized, lifesaving care to the Valley’s most fragile and critically ill newborns — right here at home, close to the families who need it most.
As the only Level III-designated neonatal ICU in the northeast Valley, our ability to meet these rigorous standards of care is strengthened every day by dedicated experts and the unwavering support of donors like you. Your gifts, along with your participation in events such as HonorHealth Foundation’s NICU High Tea, help ensure 24/7 in-hospital coverage for newborns who require this advanced level of attention.
Philanthropy makes all of this possible. You make a difference exactly when and where it matters most. Your continued support creates a powerful, lasting impact on babies, families and our entire community.
From all of us at HonorHealth, thank you!
Your impact
Download the NICU Impact Report (PDF format)
“Thanks to you, the future is brighter for every baby and family we serve.
Together with you, we will continue to advance care and provide hope for our community’s tiniest patients and their loving families.
I can think of no greater gift!”
— TODD LaPORTE
CEO, HonorHealth
You make great care possible… for every baby, every family, every day
As a Level III-designated unit, the NICU at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center provides advanced care for newborns of any gestational age.
Our expert doctors and nurses have cared for babies as small as 1.01 pounds at 25 weeks gestation and as young as 24 weeks gestation at 1.5 pounds.
The 28-bed NICU features state-of-the-art equipment and a team of experts who provide 24-hour in-hospital care – coverage that isn’t available in every hospital. A small example of what your generosity provided our tiniest and most fragile patients in 2025 includes:
Ultrasound Machine
Baby veins are very small and can be difficult to find. Ultrasound provides our nursing staff with additional tools to easily find a vein to start an IV. The medical team also uses this device for a quick look at the lungs and the heart for potential problems or defects.
Transcutaneous Bili Meters
A non-invasive device that accurately and conveniently measures and monitors the level of bilirubin to assess the risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia – reducing the number of “sticks” in the baby’s heel.
Neonatal CPAP Therapy
Neonatal CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is a therapeutic technique that provides continuous positive airway pressure to neonates who are experiencing respiratory distress. It improves the work of breathing by reducing the energy required to expand the lungs for respiration.
Bunnell Life Pulse High Frequency Jet Ventilator
This device is designed for ventilating critically ill infants, particularly those with pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). It delivers heated, humidified breaths allowing for effective ventilation.
Zoll Defibrillators
Specifically designed to meet the unique needs of neonatal intensive care units, these devices feature the ability to automatically lower the shock energy for neonatal patients, ensuring they receive the support they need without compromising their energy expenditure for growth.
t-COMS (Transcutaneous Carbon Dioxide Monitoring)
This technology allows for continuous monitoring of carbon dioxide levels through the skin, which can lead to fewer blood draws and less pain for infants.
Powered by your generosity, we are transforming and saving the lives of patients and new families who may have little, if any, hope!
Because of you
As a nonprofit, community-based healthcare system, HonorHealth depends on your kindness and generosity to deliver the exceptional care you and your family expect and deserve. Every patient’s experience at HonorHealth is lifted by philanthropy.
Because of you, the compassionate caregivers in our NICU provide world-class expertise and heartfelt support to our tiniest patients, practicing at the leading edge of neonatal medicine.
When you give through HonorHealth Foundation, you’re doing more than supporting great care. Your generosity strengthens the health and wellbeing of our community, fuels medical breakthroughs, advances innovative research and drives meaningful change across our entire system.
Thank you for your remarkable commitment and for making such a profound difference in the lives of those we serve. Your support is truly transformational!
NICU survival rates have surpassed 90 percent for pre-term infants in developed countries, reflecting significant advancements in neonatal care.
Hope starts small and grows strong
When Maverick had to be delivered unexpectedly at 26 weeks, parents Courtney and Derek were terrified. They were so grateful for the attentive care Maverick received in the NICU at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, and because of that care, he is thriving today.
“They did an ultrasound and nobody said anything. At the end of the day, they had to take him out. It was very scary…we had mixed emotions. Having a baby at 26 weeks and weighing a little over a pound is absolutely terrifying. The nurses did an incredible job at making us feel comfortable and making the situation a little less scary.
We had a few times that it was touch-and-go. When he got pneumonia, they were having a lot of trouble with his lungs. What resonated with me the most was them continuing to say, “If we’re calm, you stay calm. If they’re not panicking, don’t panic.”
If it hadn’t been for the NICU, our baby wouldn’t be alive. Donors are not only saving lives, they’re saving families!”
Download the NICU Impact Report (PDF format)
Support
Thank you for your continued support of the HonorHealth NICU!