Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Local Parents of Neonatal Intensive Care Infants Can Now Watch Over Their Newborns From Anywhere

Huntington Hospital installs 32 live-streaming cameras, funded in part by Panda Cares, the charity rooted in a Pasadena restaurant that opened more than 50 years ago

The hardest part, for many parents of a NICU baby, is leaving.

Shift ends, or another child needs dinner, or the hospital is 40 minutes away — and the baby stays, monitored by strangers the parents have come to trust but cannot watch.

Huntington Hospital has now installed 32 live-streaming cameras throughout its neonatal intensive care unit, giving families secure video access to their newborns 24 hours a day, from any phone, tablet, or computer. The system, called AngelEye, was made possible in part by Panda Cares the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, a restaurant chain that traces its origins to a single Panda Inn on East Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena, opened in 1973. For families separated from their babies by work, distance, or illness, the cameras offer something the hospital calls family-centered care: the ability to see your child even when you cannot be there.

Huntington’s NICU is the only Level III neonatal intensive care unit in the San Gabriel Valley, making it the regional destination for the most premature and critically ill newborns. The hospital, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate at 100 W. California Blvd., announced the addition June 1, according to a hospital press release.

The AngelEye platform is HIPAA-compliant and includes a secure messaging system, allowing care teams to send updates, photographs, and videos directly to families. According to the hospital press release, research consistently shows that parent involvement plays a vital role in an infant’s NICU success.

“This new technology is proven to help reduce the stress and anxiety of parents with a child in the NICU, fostering stronger connections when parents are unable to be at the bedside and providing a seamless way for them to be essential members of the care team,” Amy Pendleton, director of women’s and children’s services at Huntington Hospital, said in a statement provided by the hospital.

Jinhee Nguyen, Huntington Health’s senior vice president, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer, framed the technology as part of a broader institutional commitment. “By strengthening connections between families and caregivers, the hospital continues to advance its mission of delivering expert, compassionate care for every patient, every time,” Nguyen said in the hospital press release.

The Panda Cares connection gives the donation particular resonance for Pasadena readers. Andrew Cherng and his father, Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, opened their first restaurant in the city more than five decades ago. The family’s philanthropic arm has donated to Huntington Hospital for more than 25 years, including a $400,000 gift in December 2024 designated for NICU and pediatric care, according to a Huntington Health press release from that time.

“San Gabriel Valley children are stronger and healthier thanks to their commitment to our patients and families,” Jane Haderlein, senior vice president of philanthropy and public relations at Huntington Health, said of the Cherng family in the December 2024 release.

AngelEye Health’s camera system is now in use in more than 350 hospitals nationwide, serving roughly 20% of NICU families in the United States, according to industry reporting.

More information about Huntington Hospital’s NICU is available at huntingtonhealth.org/NICU or by calling (626) 397-8524.

The cameras are running now in Pasadena steady, silent, and on. Somewhere, a parent who couldn’t stay is watching.