PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Kim Mounts
Kimberly.Mounts@kp.org
Sunnyside and Westside medical centers have been named to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list.
PORTLAND, Ore. — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Kaiser Permanente’s Sunnyside and Westside medical centers as 2025 high performing hospitals 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 began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. Best Hospitals for Maternity Care assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meet their family’s needs.
The Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside and Westside medical centers earned the high performing designation in recognition of maternity care as measured by factors such as severe unexpected newborn complication rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial and ethnic disparities, among other measures.
“We are thrilled to have both Kaiser Permanente hospitals recognized once again for their outstanding maternity care,” said Elizabeth Melendez, M.D., chief of obstetrics and gynecology for Kaiser Permanente in the Northwest. “It is our honor, and a great responsibility, to care for pregnant patients and their babies during this special time in their lives.
“Through November of 2024 we have delivered 3,205 babies, serving thousands of families who entrusted us with their care,” Dr. Melendez said. “This award highlights our integrated hospital and maternity team’s daily commitment to high standards and quality measures, ensuring that our patients receive compassionate, high-quality care throughout their pregnancy journey.”
U.S. News evaluated 817 hospitals from across the United States. Only half of all hospitals evaluated for U.S. News’ 2025 ratings edition have been recognized as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.
“The hospitals recognized by U.S. News as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care showcase exceptional care for expectant parents,” said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News. “These hospitals demonstrate significantly lower C-section rates and severe unexpected newborn complications compared to hospitals not recognized by U.S. News.”
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, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices, and reporting on racial and ethnic disparities, among other measures.
For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and use #BestMaternityHospitals on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.