Best Maternity Care Hospitals 2021

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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HospitalCityStateRegion
Banner - University Medical Center PhoenixPhoenixArizonaSouthwest
Banner Del E Webb Medical CenterSun City WestArizonaSouthwest
Banner Desert Medical CenterMesaArizonaSouthwest
Banner Casa Grande Medical CenterCasa GrandeArizonaSouthwest
Havasu Regional Medical CenterLake Havasu CityArizonaSouthwest
Mercy Gilbert Medical CenterGilbertArizonaSouthwest
Shea Medical CenterScottsdaleArizonaSouthwest
Verde Valley Medical CenterCottonwoodArizonaSouthwest
Corona Regional Medical CenterCoronaCaliforniaPacific
El Camino Hospital Los GatosLos GatosCaliforniaPacific
Enloe Medical CenterChicoCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - AntiochAntiochCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Baldwin Park Medical CenterBaldwin ParkCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - ModestoModestoCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - RosevilleRosevilleCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San JoseSan JoseCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Santa RosaSanta RosaCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut CreekWalnut CreekCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical CenterDowneyCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical CenterFontanaCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical CenterLos AngelesCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Ontario Medical CenterOntarioCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical CenterPanorama CityCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical CenterRedwood CityCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical CenterSan DiegoCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical CenterSanta ClaraCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical CenterSacramentoCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical CenterVacavilleCaliforniaPacific
Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical CenterVallejoCaliforniaPacific
Loma Linda University Medical Center-MurrietaMurrietaCaliforniaPacific
Loma Linda University Children's HospitalLoma LindaCaliforniaPacific
Madera Community HospitalMaderaCaliforniaPacific
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical CenterLaguna HillsCaliforniaPacific
PIH Health Hospital - WhittierWhittierCaliforniaPacific
Pomerado HospitalPowayCaliforniaPacific
Scripps Memorial Hospital of EncinitasEncinitasCaliforniaPacific
Sharp Grossmont HospitalLa MesaCaliforniaPacific
Tri-City Medical CenterOceansideCaliforniaPacific
University of California Davis Medical CenterSacramentoCaliforniaPacific
University of California Irvine HealthOrangeCaliforniaPacific
Banner Fort Collins Medical CenterFort CollinsColoradoWest
Centura Health Castle Rock Adventist HospitalCastle RockColoradoWest
Centura Health-Avista Adventist HospitalLouisvilleColoradoWest
Centura Health-Littleton Adventist HospitalLittletonColoradoWest
Centura Health-Longmont United HospitalLongmontColoradoWest
Centura Health-Mercy Regional Medical CenterDurangoColoradoWest
Centura Health-St. Francis Medical CenterColorado SpringsColoradoWest
East Morgan County HospitalBrushColoradoWest
Good Samaritan Medical CenterLafayetteColoradoWest
Lutheran Medical CenterWheat RidgeColoradoWest
McKee Medical CenterLovelandColoradoWest
St. Mary's Hospital and Medical CenterGrand JunctionColoradoWest
Sterling Regional MedCenterSterlingColoradoWest
Johnson Memorial Medical CenterStafford SpringsConnecticutNortheast
The William W. Backus HospitalNorwichConnecticutNortheast
University of Connecticut Health Center, John Dempsey HospitalFarmingtonConnecticutNortheast
Bayhealth Kent CampusDoverDelawareMid-Atlantic
AdventHealth DeLandDeLandFloridaSoutheast
AdventHealth TampaTampaFloridaSoutheast
Ascension Sacred Heart PensacolaPensacolaFloridaSoutheast
Lakewood Ranch Medical CenterLakewood RanchFloridaSoutheast
Sacred Heart Hospital On The Emerald CoastMiramar BeachFloridaSoutheast
St. Lucie Medical CenterPort St LucieFloridaSoutheast
Tampa General HospitalTampaFloridaSoutheast
Meadows Regional Medical CenterVidaliaGeorgiaSoutheast
Piedmont Fayette HospitalFayettevilleGeorgiaSoutheast
Tanner Medical Center of CarrolltonCarrolltonGeorgiaSoutheast
Adventist Health CastleKailuaHawaiiPacific
Genesis Medical Center-DavenportDavenportIowaMidwest
Eastern Idaho Regional Medical CenterIdaho FallsIdahoWest
St Lukes Hospital Nampa Medical CenterNampaIdahoWest
St. Luke's Boise Medical CenterBoiseIdahoWest
St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical CenterTwin FallsIdahoWest
St. Luke's Meridian Medical CenterMeridianIdahoWest
Rush Copley Medical CenterAuroraIllinoisMidwest
Sarah Bush Lincoln Health CenterMattoonIllinoisMidwest
West Suburban Medical CenterOak ParkIllinoisMidwest
DeKalb Memorial HospitalAuburnIndianaMidwest
Elkhart General HospitalElkhartIndianaMidwest
Hancock Regional HospitalGreenfieldIndianaMidwest
La Porte HospitalLa PorteIndianaMidwest
Memorial Hospital of South BendSouth BendIndianaMidwest
Saint Joseph Health Mishawaka Medical CenterMishawakaIndianaMidwest
Berkshire Medical CenterPittsfieldMassachusettsNortheast
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterBostonMassachusettsNortheast
CHA Cambridge HospitalCambridgeMassachusettsNortheast
Emerson HospitalConcordMassachusettsNortheast
Heywood HospitalGardnerMassachusettsNortheast
Lowell General Hospital - Main CampusLowellMassachusettsNortheast
Signature Healthcare Brockton HospitalBrocktonMassachusettsNortheast
St. Luke's HospitalNew BedfordMassachusettsNortheast
Anne Arundel Medical CenterAnnapolisMarylandMid-Atlantic
Garrett Regional Medical CenterOaklandMarylandMid-Atlantic
Meritus Medical CenterHagerstownMarylandMid-Atlantic
Cary Medical CenterCaribouMaineNortheast
Franklin Memorial HospitalFarmingtonMaineNortheast
Mid Coast HospitalBrunswickMaineNortheast
Northern Light A.R. Gould HospitalPresque IsleMaineNortheast
York HospitalYorkMaineNortheast
Ascension Borgess HospitalKalamazooMichiganMidwest
Ascension River District HospitalEast ChinaMichiganMidwest
Bronson Battle CreekBattle CreekMichiganMidwest
Lakeland Community Hospital NilesNilesMichiganMidwest
McLaren - Bay RegionBay CityMichiganMidwest
Mercy Health Saint Mary'sGrand RapidsMichiganMidwest
Freeman Health SystemJoplinMissouriMidwest
Mercy Hospital JeffersonFestusMissouriMidwest
Southeast HospitalCape GirardeauMissouriMidwest
Methodist Olive Branch HospitalOlive BranchMississippiSoutheast
Billings ClinicBillingsMontanaWest
RCHP Billings-Missoula LLC DBA Community Medical CenterMissoulaMontanaWest
Alamance Regional Medical CenterBurlingtonNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Atrium Health CabarrusConcordNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Atrium Health ClevelandShelbyNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Atrium Health PinevilleCharlotteNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Atrium Health StanlyAlbemarleNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Atrium Health UnionMonroeNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Central Carolina HospitalSanfordNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Catawba Valley Medical CenterHickoryNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Harris Regional HospitalSylvaNorth CarolinaSoutheast
MH Mission Hospital McDowell, LLLPMarionNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Mission HospitalAshevilleNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Nash Hospitals, Inc.Rocky MountNorth CarolinaSoutheast
New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmingtonNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Novant Health Mint Hill Medical CenterCharlotteNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Rex Hospital, Inc.RaleighNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Sentara Albemarle Medical CenterElizabeth CityNorth CarolinaSoutheast
University of North Carolina HospitalsChapel HillNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Vidant Duplin HospitalKenansvilleNorth CarolinaSoutheast
WakeMed Raleigh CampusRaleighNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Wayne UNC Health CareGoldsboroNorth CarolinaSoutheast
Portsmouth Regional HospitalPortsmouthNew HampshireNortheast
Ocean Medical CenterBrickNew JerseyNortheast
Robert Wood Johnson University HospitalNew BrunswickNew JerseyNortheast
University HospitalNewarkNew JerseyNortheast
Renown Regional Medical CenterRenoNevadaWest
Rome Memorial HospitalRomeNew YorkNortheast
St. Joseph's Hospital Health CenterSyracuseNew YorkNortheast
Adena Regional Medical CenterChillicotheOhioMidwest
Aultman Orrville HospitalOrrvilleOhioMidwest
Cleveland Clinic Health System - Fairview HospitalClevelandOhioMidwest
Cleveland Clinic Health System - Hillcrest HospitalMayfield HeightsOhioMidwest
Fisher-Titus Medical CenterNorwalkOhioMidwest
Mercy Medical CenterCantonOhioMidwest
Miami Valley Hospital SouthCentervilleOhioMidwest
OhioHealth Grant Medical CenterColumbusOhioMidwest
Summa Health System, Akron CampusAkronOhioMidwest
Summa Health, Barberton CampusBabertonOhioMidwest
Ascension St. John OwassoOwassoOklahomaSouthwest
Bailey Medical Center LLCOwassoOklahomaSouthwest
Mercy Hospital AdaAdaOklahomaSouthwest
Mercy Hospital Oklahoma CityOklahoma CityOklahomaSouthwest
Asante Ashland Community HospitalAshlandOregonPacific
CHI Mercy Health Mercy Medical CenterRoseburgOregonPacific
Providence Medford Medical CenterMedfordOregonPacific
Bryn Mawr HospitalBryn MawrPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Butler Memorial HospitalButlerPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Geisinger Medical CenterDanvillePennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Meadville Medical CenterMeadvillePennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Paoli HospitalPaoliPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical CenterCamp HillPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Thomas Jefferson University HospitalPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
UPMC HarrisburgHarrisburgPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
WellSpan Chambersburg HospitalChambersburgPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Wellspan Waynesboro HospitalWaynesboroPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Westmoreland HospitalGreensburgPennsylvaniaMid-Atlantic
Bon Secours St. Francis HospitalCharlestonSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Colleton Medical CenterWalterboroSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Mount Pleasant HospitalMt. PleasantSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Prisma Health BaptistColumbiaSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Prisma Health Baptist Easley HospitalEasleySouth CarolinaSoutheast
Prisma Health Greenville Memorial HospitalGreenvilleSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Prisma Health Greer Memorial HospitalGreerSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Prisma Health Laurens County HospitalClintonSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Prisma Health Oconee Memorial HospitalSenecaSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Prisma Health Patewood HospitalGreenvilleSouth CarolinaSoutheast
Regional One HealthMemphisTennesseeSoutheast
Southern Tennessee Regional Health System - LawrenceburgLawrenceburgTennesseeSoutheast
Sumner Regional Medical CenterGallatinTennesseeSoutheast
Williamson Medical CenterFranklinTennesseeSoutheast
Ascension Seton HaysKyleTexasSouthwest
Hendrick Health SystemAbileneTexasSouthwest
Medical City ArlingtonArlingtonTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann Cypress HospitalCypressTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann Greater Heights HospitalHoustonTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann Katy HospitalKatyTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical CenterHoustonTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann NortheastHumbleTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann SoutheastHoustonTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann Southwest HospitalHoustonTexasSouthwest
Memorial Hermann Sugar Land HospitalSugar LandTexasSouthwest
Seton Medical Center Harker HeightsHarker HeightsTexasSouthwest
South Texas Health System EdinburgEdinburgTexasSouthwest
Cedar City HospitalCedar CityUtahWest
Intermountain Medical CenterMurrayUtahWest
LDS HospitalSalt Lake CityUtahWest
Layton HospitalLaytonUtahWest
Logan Regional HospitalLoganUtahWest
McKay-Dee HospitalOgdenUtahWest
Park City HospitalPark CityUtahWest
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital of RichmondRichmondVirginiaMid-Atlantic
Riverside Regional Medical CenterNewport NewsVirginiaMid-Atlantic
Southside Regional Medical CenterPetersburgVirginiaMid-Atlantic
University of Virginia Medical CenterCharlottesvilleVirginiaMid-Atlantic
Winchester Medical CenterWinchesterVirginiaMid-Atlantic
Rutland Regional Medical CenterRutlandVermontNortheast
MultiCare Covington Medical CenterCovingtonWashingtonPacific
Multicare Good Samaritan HospitalPuyallupWashingtonPacific
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical CenterVancouverWashingtonPacific
St. Anne HospitalBurienWashingtonPacific
St. Elizabeth HospitalEnumclawWashingtonPacific
St. Francis Hospital of Federal WayFederal WayWashingtonPacific
St. Michael Medical CenterSilverdaleWashingtonPacific
Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau ClaireEAU CLAIREWisconsinMidwest
St. John's Medical CenterJacksonWyomingWest

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.