U.S. News releases 2024 list of high performing, best hospitals for maternity care access

Key takeaways:

• U.S. News & World Report identified 311 hospitals as high performing in offering maternity care.
• These lists help expecting parents make informed decisions on where to receive maternity care.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2024 lists of the best maternity care access hospitals and hospitals that were high performing for maternity care, according to a press release from the publication.

For 2024, U.S. News has given special recognition to U.S. hospitals serving communities that depend on them for access to vital maternity care services, according to the release, and the lists are designed to help expecting parents make informed decisions regarding their maternity care.

“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,” Jennifer Winston, PhD, health data scientist at U.S. News & World Report, said in the press release. “These hospitals have [cesarean] section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals that participated in the survey.”

U.S. News researchers constructed a composite score for maternity care using cesarean delivery rates, early elective delivery rates, overall unexpected newborn complications rates, routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery rates, exclusive human milk feeding rates, episiotomy rates, birthing-friendly practice and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities. U.S. hospitals offering maternity care were invited to complete an online survey in the summer of 2023.

In total, 680 U.S. hospitals submitted survey data for Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, of which researchers identified 311 as high-performing in offering high quality maternity care. Seventy-three hospitals received the maternity care access designation — a special recognition of U.S. hospitals serving communities depending on them for access to vital maternity care services.

The full lists for both maternity care access hospitals designation and the high performing for maternity care designation can be found at USNews.com.

“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,” Winston said.

Editor’s note: On December 6, 2023, this article was updated to clarify that the lists are not rankings.

Reference:

• U.S. News & World Report announces the 2024 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/hospital-ratings/maternity. Published Dec. 5, 2023. Accessed Dec. 5, 2023.