U.S. News & World Report Reveals the 2022-2023 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

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Dec 06, 2022, 00:01 ET

297 hospitals met the bar for recognition.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, today revealed the 2022-2023 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 nearly 650 hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis. Fewer than 300 hospitals received a High Performing designation, which is the highest award a hospital can earn in maternity care.

"When expectant parents are considering their options for welcoming a baby into the world, the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care is designed to help them identify hospitals that excel in delivering babies for uncomplicated pregnancies," said Min Hee Seo, senior health data scientist at U.S. News.

This year's methodology includes four measures not previously factored into Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, including episiotomy rates, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates, and whether each hospital met new federal criteria for "birthing-friendly" practices. Also new this year, the U.S. News methodology rewards hospitals that tracked and reported their outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities.

"Identifying racial disparities in maternity care is a vital step toward achieving health equity," said Seo. "The new measures provide expectant parents with many important data points, such as whether hospitals implemented patient safety practices, to assist them in making a decision about where to receive maternity care."

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 and early elective delivery rates, among others.

For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and use #BestMaternityHospitals on Facebook and 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 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.