UI Health Care Medical Center ranks among 2026 ‘Best Hospitals for Maternity Care’
U.S. News & World Report says Iowans continue to receive Iowa’s best maternal care at state’s only academic medical center.
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center once again ranks among the nation’s top hospitals for maternity care according to U.S. News & World Report.
The medical center on the university campus at 200 Hawkins Drive in Iowa City is once again listed as a 2026 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study. U.S. News evaluated 899 hospitals from across the United States, the highest number of hospitals evaluated since the ranking began five years ago. Only about half of all hospitals evaluated for the 2026 ratings edition have been recognized.
“This national recognition is a testament to the dedication of our care teams who continue to provide the highest-quality obstetric care while adapting to an ever-changing health care landscape as Iowans face limited offerings for maternal care,” says Christian Pettker, MD, department executive officer and the Jennifer R. Niebyl Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology. “I hope this recognition will inspire the next generation of OBGYNs to collaborate with us to continue improving maternal health in Iowa, especially in our rural communities.”
The recognition signifies the department’s excellence in uncomplicated and routine care as Iowa’s only level IV maternal care facility, a designation given by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to health care facilities with a demonstrated ability to care for the most medically complex patients.
Recognition from U.S. News as a High Performing hospital further supports the idea that UI Health Care Medical Center is the best place for Iowans to receive care as they build their families. A High Performing designation for maternity care is based on objective measures of quality such as cesarean and episiotomy rates, unexpected newborn complication rates, birthing-friendly practices, and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.
U.S. News began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. The Best Hospitals for Maternity Care program is designed to help expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, make informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meets their family’s needs.
For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.
