FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lovelace Women’s Hospital and CSI Aviation team up to provide air and ground transportation for NICU babies
ALBUQUERQUE, February 2, 2026 —Lovelace Women’s Hospital (LWH) announces a new partnership with CSI Aviation to expand lifesaving neonatal transport services for families in rural communities. Through this collaboration, LWH’s specialized care flight team and CSI’s experienced pilots will provide safe air and ground transport for infants requiring the advanced support of the hospital’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), ensuring that babies—and their parents—can reach a higher level of care with less delay.
CSI will be supplying two pilots, who also serve as ground ambulance drivers, while LWH will provide a specialized care team consisting of one NICU nurse and one respiratory therapist. This streamlined handoff speeds up the transfer process and removes the need to rely on local ambulance availability for transport from the airport to LWH.
“We are excited to have our specially-trained NICU clinical team partner with CSI to safely transfer babies from around the state to Lovelace Women’s Hospital for a higher level of care,” said LWH Chief Executive Officer Tracie Stratton. “This partnership is another example of Lovelace’s commitment to delivering the highest quality of healthcare to the smallest of patients.”
LWH has a dedicated team of NICU nurses and respiratory therapists who are on-call, ready and trained to pick up a baby at a moment’s notice. This care team will fly the entire state of New Mexico and throughout the Southwest neighboring states to pick-up babies in outlying areas.
To learn more about LWH and its dedication to women’s health, please visit lovelace.com.
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Contact:
Whitney Alcantar, Lovelace Health System
whitney.alcantar@lovelace.com
Mobile: 505.903.0367
Lovelace Women’s Hospital
Lovelace Women’s Hospital (LWH) is the first and only hospital in New Mexico dedicated to women’s health. It offers a 53-bed neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized, award-winning breast care center and birthing center, and the first robotic surgery program in the state, completing over 12,000 robotic procedures, and was recognized as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC). The hospital achieved three other Center of Excellence Accreditations from SRC in 2023, including accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Surgery, re-accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Hernia Surgery and Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology, making itthe first hospital in New Mexico to receive four SRC accreditations. LWH earned a Women’s Choice Award for 2024 as America’s Best Hospital for Comprehensive Breast Care and three in 2022, including recognition as one of America’s Best Breast Center, a Best Hospital for Obstetrics and a Best Mammogram Imaging Center. Its Family Birthing Center earned international re-recognition as a Baby-Friendly® designated facility since 2017, offering an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. LWH was just awarded an “A” grade in New Mexico for Fall 2025 from Leapfrog Hospital Safety for its achievements of protecting patients from harm and error in the hospital. To learn more about the state-of-the-art treatment options, innovative health care providers and award-winning quality initiatives at Lovelace Women’s Hospital, visit lovelace.com.