Ascension St. John Begins NICU Flight Transport

When a newborn is in need, seconds matter - which is why Ascension St. John today announced that they have expanded the reach of the Mary K. Chapman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), offering specialized flight transport for newborns in need and expanding access to specialized neonatal care for patients located throughout rural Oklahoma.

From the moment the call comes in from rural or regional hospitals throughout the state, St. John's NICU care team is already in motion so that newborns who need advanced support can be transferred quickly to St. John Medical Center by helicopter and receive the specialized care needed.

"St. John is committed to providing critical care and adding NICU flight transport significantly expands our reach to newborns in need when it matters most," said Bryan Cavitt, president of Ascension St. John Medical Center. "This initiative is part of our continued mission to innovate, serve rural Oklahomans and expand access to high-quality care across our state."

With over 600 hours of flight training, St. John's NICU transport team includes a specialty trained NICU nurse and a respiratory therapist who travel to the requesting transfer hospital to receive the newborn in need. While there, the team prepares the baby for transport in a special isolette that is then loaded onto a helicopter. Under the team's care, the baby is then flown to St. John's Level III NICU by Air Methods.

"When a newborn is in need, distance shouldn't decide their future," said Ascension St. John's Director of Women's Health Evelyn Radichel. "St. John's NICU flight transport program provides life-saving care for newborns in need and brings our Level III neonatal care closer to families across rural Oklahoma."

St. John's NICU provides 24/7 care with a highly skilled multidisciplinary team including board-certified neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners. Board Certified Neonatologist Dr. Craig Anderson leads the NICU team and has been with Ascension St. John for nearly 13 years, bringing a wealth of experience and exceptional care for St. John's tiniest and most vulnerable patients.

"In rural Oklahoma, help can sometimes feel far away," said Dr. Craig Anderson, medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. John Medical Center. "Our NICU flight program allows us to reach newborns in need quickly, while expanding access to the specialized care that we know will improve outcomes for our tiniest patients."

St. John's Level III NICU team is here for Oklahoma's families:

• Whether families are from Tahlequah or Tulsa, patient rooms at the Mary K. Chapman NICU are spacious and mothers - or one designated family member - are allowed to stay overnight with their babies.
• In the event that families are unable to travel, St. John recently purchased over 40 Angel Eye cameras to ensure more parents and families have secure, live-stream video access to their baby's progress - anytime, anywhere.
• Ascension St. John recently earned the Cribs for Kids Gold Safe Sleep Certification - the highest award available from the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. Our associates are trained to provide safe sleep education for all families with special attention to those who may be in need of additional support in providing a safe sleep environment for their babies.
• St. John's Level III NICU provides care and support services for newborns with a range of conditions including prematurity, respiratory distress syndrome, hypoglycemia, optimizing nutrition and growth, and more. The NICU provides specialized care for babies beginning at 22 weeks gestational age with support from board certified neonatologists, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, speech therapy, dietitians and of course, dedicated nursing staff.
• In 2025, the Mary K. Chapman NICU received a transformative upgrade to its new patient monitoring system. Made possible by a $2 million investment from the St. John Foundation and community donors, this upgrade streamlines continuous observation for our tiniest patients, reducing noise and minimizing disruptions. For clinical teams, this new technology delivers the most accurate and timely access to cardiopulmonary data at the patient's bedside and during transport, enabling the continuous monitoring these infants need.