University of Iowa Health Care has been named one of the nation’s top hospitals for maternity care by U.S. News & World Report.
U.S. News evaluated nearly 650 hospitals across the country that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis. Only 297 hospitals received a High Performing designation, which is the highest award a hospital can earn in maternity care.
“We are proud to be one of the best hospitals for maternity care- not only in Iowa but in the nation. We truly believe our patients are in the best hands when they choose to give birth at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics,” says Kelly Ward, MD, medical director of labor and delivery. “This designation is also a testament to how hard our team works to provide the best care for newborns and new parents.”
UI Hospitals & Clinics is one of just two hospitals in Iowa to receive this designation.
“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,” says Min Hee Seo, senior health data scientist at U.S. News.
One of the best hospitals in Iowa for maternity care. Fewer than 300 in the nation received this recognition.
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,” says 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.
