Sanford Fargo Recognized as a Level IV Neonatal Facility
Sanford Health Fargo has been designated as a Level IV Neonatal Facility by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The AAP's Neonatal Excellence Program awards such designations to hospitals that meet the highest standards established through an independent neonatal verification and designation process. The AAP Neonatal Excellence Program supports hospitals' initiatives to provide newborns with access to the right expertise and resources, helping to improve outcomes, reduce disparities, increase transparency and advance health for all children.
"We are honored to be designated as a Level IV Neonatal Facility by the AAP. This achievement is a direct result of the dedication, expertise and teamwork demonstrated by our NICU staff every day," said Susan Jarvis, Sanford Fargo chief operating officer. "This designation recognizes our commitment to delivering advanced, specialized care to our tiniest and most vulnerable patients, strengthening our ability to deliver exceptional patient outcomes. We are proud to bring world-class healthcare close to home."
"Achieving Level IV NICU certification reflects our continued commitment to providing the highest level of specialized care to the children and families of our state," said Jacob Fish, M.D., Sanford Fargo Children's Hospital chief medical officer. "This milestone strengthens our mission to ensure that even our most critically ill newborns have access to the advanced care, expertise and resources they need, close to home."
To be designated as a Level IV Neonatal Facility, a NICU must meet all the capabilities of a Level III NICU, plus satisfy strict criteria, such as:
Must be located within a hospital that can provide surgical repair of major, complex congenital or acquired conditions.
Must maintain a full range of on-site pediatric surgical subspecialties
Must have continuous, 24/7 access to a comprehensive team of pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical subspecialists and pediatric anesthesiologists
Must be fully equipped to perform and interpret advanced, complex imaging on-site, including MRIs and echocardiography
Capability to coordinate regional transport systems for critically ill infants and provide educational outreach to other regional hospitals.
Continuous life support and management for the critically ill or hemodynamically unstable neonates of any gestational age or birth weight.
Must have a robust Neonatal Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Program (NPSQIP)
"Receiving the highest designation for a NICU from the AAP is an important recognition of the exceptional care our team provides to the most critically ill and medically complex newborns, including extremely premature infants," said Mohamed Mohamed, M.D., Sanford Fargo neonatology specialist. "This designation reflects the expertise, dedication and collaboration of our physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, respiratory therapists and the many pediatric specialists who support our patients and families. Most importantly, it affirms our commitment to providing the highest level of neonatal care close to home for families across our region."
The Sanford Fargo NICU began at St. Luke's hospital in 1981, and the NICU Flight Team was established in 1984. In June 2023, the Micropreemie Program began, and in May 2025, the Micropreemie Unit opened.
The Sanford Fargo NICU has more than 590 NICU admissions and over 180 neonatal transports each year. The NICU Flight Team covers all of North Dakota, northwest Minnesota and northern South Dakota. The Micropreemie Program, which is for babies born at or before 26 weeks gestation, has provided care for over 110 infants since opening in 2023.