News release
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which serves members in the Santa Clarita Valley, has been recognized statewide for its commitment to clinical excellence, patient safety and high-quality care for newborns and their families, the health care provider announced in a news release.
The hospital received a 2026 NICU Surprise Award for Highest Data Quality from the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, the release said. The award recognizes NICUs across the state that demonstrate exceptional data accuracy and consistency in reporting clinical outcomes, an essential component in advancing quality improvement efforts across California.
Panorama City Medical Center’s NICU was one of only 40 in the state to receive this distinction.
“When families entrust us with the care of their newborns, it’s one of the most important moments in their lives,” Camille A. Applin-Jones, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center, said in the release. “This recognition reflects the compassion, expertise and commitment our NICU team brings to every baby and family we serve. We’re incredibly proud of our physicians, nurses and staff whose dedication helps give our smallest patients the strongest possible start.”
The hospital’s NICU has earned multiple CPQCC recognitions over the years, including consecutive “Highest Data Quality” NICU Surprise Awards in 2025, reflecting a longstanding commitment to neonatal quality, safety, outcomes measurement and continuous improvement, the release said.
“Caring for newborns who need specialized medical attention is both a responsibility and a privilege,” Dr. Kambiz Rezaie, chief of service, NICU, Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center, said in the release. “This recognition belongs to our entire NICU team, whose dedication, collaboration and attention to detail help ensure that every baby receives the highest quality care possible. We’re proud of the work we do for our patients and families each day.”
California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative is a statewide network of California’s neonatal intensive care units and High Risk Infant Follow-up clinics, housed at Stanford Medicine. Its mission is to improve the quality and equity of health care delivery for California’s most vulnerable infants and their families, from birth and NICU stay to early childhood.
