U.S. News & World Report has released its 2024 edition of the “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care” rankings. This time, two Georgia hospitals earned “High Performing” marks within the rankings — Emory Johns Creek Hospital and Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center.
“Relatively little information is readily available to the public about which facilities across the country are best at caring for expectant parents during labor and delivery following an uncomplicated pregnancy,” according to U.S. News. “By evaluating hospitals using core maternity and perinatal care data, including data primarily self-reported by hospitals, and by publishing this information publicly on each hospital’s usnews.com page, we aim to enhance the transparency of the maternity services provided for uncomplicated pregnancies.”
Atlanta-based health care system Piedmont responded on Thursday to the news.
“Piedmont Athens is proud to receive this recognition from U.S. News & World Report,” Piedmont Athens Regional CEO Michael Burnett said in a press release. “This designation reflects our team’s relentless commitment to excellent patient care, offering all patients access to safe, individualized maternity care.”
In total, 680 hospitals across the U.S. earned rankings for their maternity care. Only a select group, however, earned the “High Performing” moniker.
“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, health data scientist at U.S. News, explained in a press release. “These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals’ performance metrics for free at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby.”
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