Top marks for maternity care

Fourteen Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California have been recognized as “high performing” in maternity care by U.S. News & World Report. This is the first time U.S. News & World Report has published a Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list.

“We are proud of this accomplishment, which is a testament to the exceptional care provided by our physicians and staff,” said Julie Miller-Phipps, regional president for Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Hawaii Health Plan and Hospitals. “This reflects our commitment to providing our members and patients with high-quality personalized maternity care as they embark on their parenthood journey.”

Ramin Davidoff, MD, executive medical director and chair, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, and chair and CEO, Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, stated: "Through our integrated care model and evidence-based protocols, we are providing families with the expert and high-quality care they need to lead healthy and productive lives, right from the start. Our highly skilled physicians and care teams, coupled with our integrated care delivery system, allow us to provide the best experience and outcomes for new parents and their babies."

To be recognized among the 2021-22 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, hospitals had to excel on multiple quality metrics that matter to expectant families, including low rates for complications and cesarean births, whether births were scheduled too early in pregnancy, and how successfully each hospital supported breastfeeding. Only one-third of the hospitals evaluated by U.S. News for maternity care earned a ‘high performing’ rating — the highest possible rating for that type of care.

“All families deserve to be informed of how hospitals perform on key indicators of quality, which is why U.S. News has compiled and published a trove of maternal health data from hospitals across the country,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News & World Report. “The hospitals we’ve recognized as high performing meet a high standard in caring for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies.”

Congratulations to our Anaheim, Baldwin Park, Downey, Fontana, Irvine, Los Angeles, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Panorama City, Riverside, San Diego, San Diego Zion, South Bay, and Woodland Hills hospitals on this outstanding achievement.

The evaluation looks at hospital data relating to only uncomplicated pregnancies, not high-risk pregnancies. Participating hospitals responded to a survey from the U.S. News health analysis team in spring of 2021, which reflects data from 2019. Participation was voluntary.