Best Maternity Hospitals 2021
The birth of a healthy baby brings great joy -- especially during such a difficult time. If you're planning to add a new baby to the family, you want to feel confident that you've chosen a first-rate maternity hospital to help you achieve that happy outcome.
How can you make informed decisions about maternity care? Newsweek partnered with The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that reports on the safety and quality performance of U.S. health care facilities, to highlight the Best Maternity Hospitals 2021. Our list presents 217 entries in 36 states, categorized by region. The facilities that made this list met Leapfrog's high standards for safety and quality of the maternity care they provide.
If your hospital is listed below, you can get in touch to find out more about the licensing options.
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Hospital | City | State | Region |
---|---|---|---|
Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix | Phoenix | Arizona | Southwest |
Banner Del E Webb Medical Center | Sun City West | Arizona | Southwest |
Banner Desert Medical Center | Mesa | Arizona | Southwest |
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center | Casa Grande | Arizona | Southwest |
Havasu Regional Medical Center | Lake Havasu City | Arizona | Southwest |
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center | Gilbert | Arizona | Southwest |
Shea Medical Center | Scottsdale | Arizona | Southwest |
Verde Valley Medical Center | Cottonwood | Arizona | Southwest |
Corona Regional Medical Center | Corona | California | Pacific |
El Camino Hospital Los Gatos | Los Gatos | California | Pacific |
Enloe Medical Center | Chico | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch | Antioch | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Baldwin Park Medical Center | Baldwin Park | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Modesto | Modesto | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Roseville | Roseville | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco | San Francisco | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Jose | San Jose | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Santa Rosa | Santa Rosa | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek | Walnut Creek | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West Los Angeles | Los Angeles | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center | Downey | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center | Fontana | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center | Los Angeles | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Ontario Medical Center | Ontario | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center | Panorama City | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center | Redwood City | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center | San Diego | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center | Santa Clara | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center | Sacramento | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center | Vacaville | California | Pacific |
Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center | Vallejo | California | Pacific |
Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta | Murrieta | California | Pacific |
Loma Linda University Children's Hospital | Loma Linda | California | Pacific |
Madera Community Hospital | Madera | California | Pacific |
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center | Laguna Hills | California | Pacific |
PIH Health Hospital - Whittier | Whittier | California | Pacific |
Pomerado Hospital | Poway | California | Pacific |
Scripps Memorial Hospital of Encinitas | Encinitas | California | Pacific |
Sharp Grossmont Hospital | La Mesa | California | Pacific |
Tri-City Medical Center | Oceanside | California | Pacific |
University of California Davis Medical Center | Sacramento | California | Pacific |
University of California Irvine Health | Orange | California | Pacific |
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center | Fort Collins | Colorado | West |
Centura Health Castle Rock Adventist Hospital | Castle Rock | Colorado | West |
Centura Health-Avista Adventist Hospital | Louisville | Colorado | West |
Centura Health-Littleton Adventist Hospital | Littleton | Colorado | West |
Centura Health-Longmont United Hospital | Longmont | Colorado | West |
Centura Health-Mercy Regional Medical Center | Durango | Colorado | West |
Centura Health-St. Francis Medical Center | Colorado Springs | Colorado | West |
East Morgan County Hospital | Brush | Colorado | West |
Good Samaritan Medical Center | Lafayette | Colorado | West |
Lutheran Medical Center | Wheat Ridge | Colorado | West |
McKee Medical Center | Loveland | Colorado | West |
St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center | Grand Junction | Colorado | West |
Sterling Regional MedCenter | Sterling | Colorado | West |
Johnson Memorial Medical Center | Stafford Springs | Connecticut | Northeast |
The William W. Backus Hospital | Norwich | Connecticut | Northeast |
University of Connecticut Health Center, John Dempsey Hospital | Farmington | Connecticut | Northeast |
Bayhealth Kent Campus | Dover | Delaware | Mid-Atlantic |
AdventHealth DeLand | DeLand | Florida | Southeast |
AdventHealth Tampa | Tampa | Florida | Southeast |
Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola | Pensacola | Florida | Southeast |
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center | Lakewood Ranch | Florida | Southeast |
Sacred Heart Hospital On The Emerald Coast | Miramar Beach | Florida | Southeast |
St. Lucie Medical Center | Port St Lucie | Florida | Southeast |
Tampa General Hospital | Tampa | Florida | Southeast |
Meadows Regional Medical Center | Vidalia | Georgia | Southeast |
Piedmont Fayette Hospital | Fayetteville | Georgia | Southeast |
Tanner Medical Center of Carrollton | Carrollton | Georgia | Southeast |
Adventist Health Castle | Kailua | Hawaii | Pacific |
Genesis Medical Center-Davenport | Davenport | Iowa | Midwest |
Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center | Idaho Falls | Idaho | West |
St Lukes Hospital Nampa Medical Center | Nampa | Idaho | West |
St. Luke's Boise Medical Center | Boise | Idaho | West |
St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center | Twin Falls | Idaho | West |
St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center | Meridian | Idaho | West |
Rush Copley Medical Center | Aurora | Illinois | Midwest |
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center | Mattoon | Illinois | Midwest |
West Suburban Medical Center | Oak Park | Illinois | Midwest |
DeKalb Memorial Hospital | Auburn | Indiana | Midwest |
Elkhart General Hospital | Elkhart | Indiana | Midwest |
Hancock Regional Hospital | Greenfield | Indiana | Midwest |
La Porte Hospital | La Porte | Indiana | Midwest |
Memorial Hospital of South Bend | South Bend | Indiana | Midwest |
Saint Joseph Health Mishawaka Medical Center | Mishawaka | Indiana | Midwest |
Berkshire Medical Center | Pittsfield | Massachusetts | Northeast |
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | Boston | Massachusetts | Northeast |
CHA Cambridge Hospital | Cambridge | Massachusetts | Northeast |
Emerson Hospital | Concord | Massachusetts | Northeast |
Heywood Hospital | Gardner | Massachusetts | Northeast |
Lowell General Hospital - Main Campus | Lowell | Massachusetts | Northeast |
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital | Brockton | Massachusetts | Northeast |
St. Luke's Hospital | New Bedford | Massachusetts | Northeast |
Anne Arundel Medical Center | Annapolis | Maryland | Mid-Atlantic |
Garrett Regional Medical Center | Oakland | Maryland | Mid-Atlantic |
Meritus Medical Center | Hagerstown | Maryland | Mid-Atlantic |
Cary Medical Center | Caribou | Maine | Northeast |
Franklin Memorial Hospital | Farmington | Maine | Northeast |
Mid Coast Hospital | Brunswick | Maine | Northeast |
Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital | Presque Isle | Maine | Northeast |
York Hospital | York | Maine | Northeast |
Ascension Borgess Hospital | Kalamazoo | Michigan | Midwest |
Ascension River District Hospital | East China | Michigan | Midwest |
Bronson Battle Creek | Battle Creek | Michigan | Midwest |
Lakeland Community Hospital Niles | Niles | Michigan | Midwest |
McLaren - Bay Region | Bay City | Michigan | Midwest |
Mercy Health Saint Mary's | Grand Rapids | Michigan | Midwest |
Freeman Health System | Joplin | Missouri | Midwest |
Mercy Hospital Jefferson | Festus | Missouri | Midwest |
Southeast Hospital | Cape Girardeau | Missouri | Midwest |
Methodist Olive Branch Hospital | Olive Branch | Mississippi | Southeast |
Billings Clinic | Billings | Montana | West |
RCHP Billings-Missoula LLC DBA Community Medical Center | Missoula | Montana | West |
Alamance Regional Medical Center | Burlington | North Carolina | Southeast |
Atrium Health Cabarrus | Concord | North Carolina | Southeast |
Atrium Health Cleveland | Shelby | North Carolina | Southeast |
Atrium Health Pineville | Charlotte | North Carolina | Southeast |
Atrium Health Stanly | Albemarle | North Carolina | Southeast |
Atrium Health Union | Monroe | North Carolina | Southeast |
Central Carolina Hospital | Sanford | North Carolina | Southeast |
Catawba Valley Medical Center | Hickory | North Carolina | Southeast |
Harris Regional Hospital | Sylva | North Carolina | Southeast |
MH Mission Hospital McDowell, LLLP | Marion | North Carolina | Southeast |
Mission Hospital | Asheville | North Carolina | Southeast |
Nash Hospitals, Inc. | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | Southeast |
New Hanover Regional Medical Center | Wilmington | North Carolina | Southeast |
Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center | Charlotte | North Carolina | Southeast |
Rex Hospital, Inc. | Raleigh | North Carolina | Southeast |
Sentara Albemarle Medical Center | Elizabeth City | North Carolina | Southeast |
University of North Carolina Hospitals | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | Southeast |
Vidant Duplin Hospital | Kenansville | North Carolina | Southeast |
WakeMed Raleigh Campus | Raleigh | North Carolina | Southeast |
Wayne UNC Health Care | Goldsboro | North Carolina | Southeast |
Portsmouth Regional Hospital | Portsmouth | New Hampshire | Northeast |
Ocean Medical Center | Brick | New Jersey | Northeast |
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital | New Brunswick | New Jersey | Northeast |
University Hospital | Newark | New Jersey | Northeast |
Renown Regional Medical Center | Reno | Nevada | West |
Rome Memorial Hospital | Rome | New York | Northeast |
St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center | Syracuse | New York | Northeast |
Adena Regional Medical Center | Chillicothe | Ohio | Midwest |
Aultman Orrville Hospital | Orrville | Ohio | Midwest |
Cleveland Clinic Health System - Fairview Hospital | Cleveland | Ohio | Midwest |
Cleveland Clinic Health System - Hillcrest Hospital | Mayfield Heights | Ohio | Midwest |
Fisher-Titus Medical Center | Norwalk | Ohio | Midwest |
Mercy Medical Center | Canton | Ohio | Midwest |
Miami Valley Hospital South | Centerville | Ohio | Midwest |
OhioHealth Grant Medical Center | Columbus | Ohio | Midwest |
Summa Health System, Akron Campus | Akron | Ohio | Midwest |
Summa Health, Barberton Campus | Baberton | Ohio | Midwest |
Ascension St. John Owasso | Owasso | Oklahoma | Southwest |
Bailey Medical Center LLC | Owasso | Oklahoma | Southwest |
Mercy Hospital Ada | Ada | Oklahoma | Southwest |
Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Southwest |
Asante Ashland Community Hospital | Ashland | Oregon | Pacific |
CHI Mercy Health Mercy Medical Center | Roseburg | Oregon | Pacific |
Providence Medford Medical Center | Medford | Oregon | Pacific |
Bryn Mawr Hospital | Bryn Mawr | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Butler Memorial Hospital | Butler | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Geisinger Medical Center | Danville | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Meadville Medical Center | Meadville | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Paoli Hospital | Paoli | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center | Camp Hill | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
UPMC Harrisburg | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital | Chambersburg | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Wellspan Waynesboro Hospital | Waynesboro | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Westmoreland Hospital | Greensburg | Pennsylvania | Mid-Atlantic |
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital | Charleston | South Carolina | Southeast |
Colleton Medical Center | Walterboro | South Carolina | Southeast |
Mount Pleasant Hospital | Mt. Pleasant | South Carolina | Southeast |
Prisma Health Baptist | Columbia | South Carolina | Southeast |
Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital | Easley | South Carolina | Southeast |
Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital | Greenville | South Carolina | Southeast |
Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital | Greer | South Carolina | Southeast |
Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital | Clinton | South Carolina | Southeast |
Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital | Seneca | South Carolina | Southeast |
Prisma Health Patewood Hospital | Greenville | South Carolina | Southeast |
Regional One Health | Memphis | Tennessee | Southeast |
Southern Tennessee Regional Health System - Lawrenceburg | Lawrenceburg | Tennessee | Southeast |
Sumner Regional Medical Center | Gallatin | Tennessee | Southeast |
Williamson Medical Center | Franklin | Tennessee | Southeast |
Ascension Seton Hays | Kyle | Texas | Southwest |
Hendrick Health System | Abilene | Texas | Southwest |
Medical City Arlington | Arlington | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital | Cypress | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital | Houston | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital | Katy | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center | Houston | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Northeast | Humble | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Southeast | Houston | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital | Houston | Texas | Southwest |
Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital | Sugar Land | Texas | Southwest |
Seton Medical Center Harker Heights | Harker Heights | Texas | Southwest |
South Texas Health System Edinburg | Edinburg | Texas | Southwest |
Cedar City Hospital | Cedar City | Utah | West |
Intermountain Medical Center | Murray | Utah | West |
LDS Hospital | Salt Lake City | Utah | West |
Layton Hospital | Layton | Utah | West |
Logan Regional Hospital | Logan | Utah | West |
McKay-Dee Hospital | Ogden | Utah | West |
Park City Hospital | Park City | Utah | West |
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital of Richmond | Richmond | Virginia | Mid-Atlantic |
Riverside Regional Medical Center | Newport News | Virginia | Mid-Atlantic |
Southside Regional Medical Center | Petersburg | Virginia | Mid-Atlantic |
University of Virginia Medical Center | Charlottesville | Virginia | Mid-Atlantic |
Winchester Medical Center | Winchester | Virginia | Mid-Atlantic |
Rutland Regional Medical Center | Rutland | Vermont | Northeast |
MultiCare Covington Medical Center | Covington | Washington | Pacific |
Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital | Puyallup | Washington | Pacific |
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center | Vancouver | Washington | Pacific |
St. Anne Hospital | Burien | Washington | Pacific |
St. Elizabeth Hospital | Enumclaw | Washington | Pacific |
St. Francis Hospital of Federal Way | Federal Way | Washington | Pacific |
St. Michael Medical Center | Silverdale | Washington | Pacific |
Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire | EAU CLAIRE | Wisconsin | Midwest |
St. John's Medical Center | Jackson | Wyoming | West |
Methodology: The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit that monitors the quality and safety of health care and powers the Newsweek Best Health Care series. Best Maternity Care Hospitals are hospitals that meet Leapfrog's tough standards for excellence in maternity care: hospitals that have low rates of C-section, episiotomy, and early elective deliveries, and follow important protocols to protect moms and babies. Though these are standards aligned with medical research and best practices, not all hospitals achieve them. Newsweek's Best Maternity Care Hospitals are an elite group of hospitals demonstrating the highest performance in the United States. To be considered for the list, hospitals had to demonstrate that they fully met Leapfrog's standard for all of the following measures: Early Elective Delivery Data strongly demonstrates that early elective deliveries—scheduled cesarean sections or medical inductions performed prior to 39 weeks of gestation without medical necessity—carry risks to both babies and mothers. Early elective deliveries can result in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, longer stays and higher costs to both patients and payers. For this measure, a lower rate is more desirable. Leapfrog's target for all hospitals is 5% or less. NTSV C-Section Cesarean sections (C-sections) carry serious risks of infection or blood clots, and many women experience longer recoveries and difficulty with future pregnancies. C-sections can also cause problems for babies, like breathing difficulties that need treatment in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU). To measure a hospital's rate of C-sections, Leapfrog uses one standardized, endorsed measure that reflects the percentage of first-time mothers giving birth to a single baby, at term, in the head-down position. This measure allows for a fair comparison on C-section rates among very different hospitals. For this measure, a lower rate is more desirable. Leapfrog's target for all hospitals is 23.9% or less. Episiotomy An episiotomy is an incision made in the perineum (the birth canal) during childbirth. Although episiotomies were once routine in childbirth, medical guidelines today recommend an episiotomy only in a narrow set of cases. Episiotomies have been clearly linked with worse perineal tears, loss of bladder or bowel control, serious infections, and pelvic floor defects. For this measure, a lower rate is more desirable. Leapfrog's target for all hospitals is 5% or less. Newborn Bilirubin Screening Prior to Discharge To ensure a safe delivery for mom and baby, hospitals must take some standard precautions for their patients. Leapfrog assesses whether a newborn has been properly screened for a high bilirubin level. If a high level is not caught, the newborn faces a high risk of brain damage and various disabilities. Leapfrog's target rate is 90% or greater, meaning that at least 90% of babies are screened for jaundice. Appropriate DVT Prophylaxis in Women Undergoing Cesarean Delivery Mothers that deliver via C-section are sometimes at risk for a pulmonary embolism, where one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked by a blood clot. Hospitals must take care to reduce this risk using standard prevention protocols. Leapfrog's target rate is 90% or greater, meaning that techniques to prevent blood clots are used for at least 90% of mothers delivering via C-section. Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Hospitals must demonstrate their ability to protect patients from preventable harm by receiving an A or B in the fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. Facilities that were not scored were also eligible for consideration.