U.S. News & World Report Announces the 2024 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

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Dec 05, 2023, 00:01 ET

This year's study also recognizes 73 inaugural Maternity Care Access Hospitals.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, today announced the 2024 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care evaluation to assist expectant parents, in consultation with their doctors, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity care.

U.S. News evaluated hospitals from across the nation that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis; 680 hospitals, an all-time high, participated in this year's U.S. News survey.

"Hospitals that receive a High Performing designation as part of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care meet a high standard in caring for parents with uncomplicated pregnancies," said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News. "These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals that participated in the survey. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals' performance metrics at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby."

New this year is a special recognition of hospitals across the U.S. serving communities that depend on them for access to vital maternity care services. The 2024 ratings evaluation highlights 73 inaugural "Maternity Care Access Hospitals." These essential hospitals provide care to expectant parents who wouldn't otherwise have access to maternity care and serve communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts.

"While growing maternity care deserts in parts of the country have left millions of people without local access to maternity care, these U.S. News-recognized Maternity Care Access Hospitals persist in providing this vital service to under-resourced communities," said Winston.

The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, early elective delivery rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.

For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and use #BestMaternityHospitals on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.