The California Perinatal Transport Systems CPeTS was established in 1976 pursuant to the enactment of California Assemby Bill 4439. This act appropriated funds for the development of a dispatch service to address the need for facilitating transport of critically ill infants and mothers with high risk conditions to regional Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and Perinatal High Risk Units (PHRUs).

CPeTS provides the collection and analysis of perinatal and neonatal transport data for regional planning, outreach program development, and outcome analysis.This information is reported to participating hospitals, and the Division of Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health of the California Department of Public Health. We support an integrated network of regional perinatal programs in California. Opportunities for regional perinatal programs to share and solve their common problems are provided through meetings of an Advisory Committee.

The California Perinatal Transport System can assist health care professionals in the REFERRAL of high-risk pregnant women and newborn infants. An updated bed availability status is obtained daily from regional CCS-California Children Services approved neonatal intensive care units. There are many NICUs participating in this daily survey that includes an array of county,   for-profit, non-profit, university affiliated, and HMO-owned facilities. This information is being made available via this website.