Impact Report | HonorHealth NICU
Your kindness comforts our tiniest patients
Because of your kindness, compassion and generosity, HonorHealth’s Scottsdale Shea Medical Center provides the Valley’s most fragile and critically ill newborns with specialized, lifesaving care — right here, close to home.
As the only Level III-designated neonatal ICU in the northeast Valley, this exceptional care is made possible through rigorous standards, dedicated expertise and the generosity of donors like you.
Your gifts, along with your support of events like HonorHealth Foundation’s NICU High Tea, ensure 24-hour in-hospital coverage for newborns who require this advanced level of care.
Philanthropy makes this and so much more possible. YOU make a difference when and where it’s needed most. Your continued support and generosity create an exponential impact throughout our community and beyond.
And for that, we thank you!
Your impact
Download the NICU Impact Report (PDF format)
“Your generosity distinguishes our NICU at the forefront of neonatal medicine.
Thanks to your philanthropic support, we will continue to meet and exceed the needs of our community!”
— TODD LaPORTE
CEO, HonorHealth
Making great care possible is only the beginning!
As a Level III NICU, HonorHealth provides advanced care for newborns of any gestational age.
The expert doctors and nurses of this unit 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 not available in every hospital.
A small example of what your generosity provided our tiniest and most fragile patients in 2024 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.
Germ Zapping Disinfecting Robot
A UV disinfecting robot that cleans NICU rooms faster and more efficiently with AI technology. It eliminates 99.99 percent of bacteria and viruses, which is critical to the health of premature infants.
Giraffe Omni Bed
The Giraffe Care Station is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the NICU. This bed provides the environment a premature baby will live in from a few days to many weeks. It provides soothing warmth, humidity and a smooth transition from the bed to Kangaroo care with parents.
Parents’ Pantry
This allows the parents more time with their babies so they do not have to leave the NICU to grab a snack during a stressful time.
Medela Breast Milk Warmer
For babies in the NICU, extra vitamins, minerals and calories must be added to mom’s pumped breast milk to help the baby grow. This means that the milk is mixed one time a day and then placed in the refrigerator to be portioned out throughout the day. Warming milk before feeding has been shown to help with digestion.
Infant Developmental Positioning Aides
Infant positioning aides are important for proper growth and development outside of mom’s womb. Babies born prematurely don’t have fully developed muscles and bones and require specialized positioning to help these grow normally. One small baby can require as many seven positioning aides at one time! Positioning aides may include development mobiles, temperature monitors and joey wraps, to name a few.
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 relies on your kindness and generosity to help provide the exceptional care you and your family expect and deserve.
Every patient’s experience with HonorHealth is enhanced through philanthropy. Because of you, the compassionate, caring staff at HonorHealth’s NICU takes expert care of our tiny patients, practicing at the forefront of neonatal medicine.
Giving through HonorHealth Foundation means you’re supporting more than great care — your contributions improve health and well-being, fuel medical breakthroughs, drive innovative research and so much more.
HonorHealth Foundation is grateful for your transformational investment in our community!
Tiny fighters from the very start
Following a challenging pregnancy, twin girls Taylor and Alexa entered the world too soon at only 3.6 and 3.9 pounds. Their delicate bodies cradled in the skilled hands of HonorHealth’s neonatal specialists.
The beeping monitors, gentle hum of ventilators and warm touch of caring nurses became the rhythm of their lives for four long weeks. Every breath they took was a milestone and every ounce they gained a victory.
But they were never alone. Surrounded by their loving parents, cutting-edge technology and the unwavering dedication of a worldclass NICU team at Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, these tiny twins defied the odds, one heartbeat at a time. Their family, once filled with fear, found hope in the hands of those who nurtured not just their tiny girls, but their spirits as well.
Now, years later, those same babies are thriving teenagers — laughing, learning and chasing their dreams. They play volleyball, speak fluent Mandarin and volunteer at their church. Their journey from the NICU to now is a testament to the power of expert care and the kindness of professionals who loved Taylor and Alexa like they were family.
Because of their compassion and dedication, and through the philanthropy of strangers, these once-tiny miracles are living proof that even the scariest beginnings can lead to the brightest futures!
Download the NICU Impact Report (PDF format)
Support
Thank you for your continued support of the HonorHealth NICU!