(Courtesy of RWJBarnabas Health) Money and The Leapfrog Group announced its list of the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care this month, with three RWJBarnabas Health facilities among just 259 U.S. hospitals to receive the award. Monmouth Medical Center (MMC), Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBI) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset were named to the list.
To compile its list of the best hospitals in the country for maternity care in partnership with the digital platform Money, The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that aims to help consumers make informed decisions about their health and access to safe, high-value care, used maternity care data submitted via the 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. For over two decades, The Leapfrog Group has collected and published data on patient safety and quality of care from voluntary surveys and other sources. More than 2,200 hospitals completed its flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey in 2022.
Eligible hospitals were required to receive an “A” or “B” letter grade on the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assessment for spring 2022 and meet specific maternity care standards in areas such as early elective deliveries, cesarean birth, episiotomy, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, bilirubin screening, and high-risk deliveries. The 259 hospitals named to the list are a combination of hospitals that provide care for uncomplicated pregnancies, as well as hospitals that provide care for high-risk deliveries.
“As the health system that delivers the most babies in the state, we are deeply committed to ensuring we provide our communities with quality, equitable maternity care and these recognitions underscore that mission,” said Suzanne Spernal DNP, APN-BC, RNC-OB, C-ONQS, vice president of women’s services, RWJBarnabas Health. “These distinctions are a testament to our facilities’ commitment to excellence in maternity care and are reflective of our dedicated and compassionate staff, who ensure the highest level of care and safety for the patients we serve.”
Further illustrating RWJBarnabas Health’s ongoing commitment to women’s health and maternity care, the recognitions come on the heels of the system’s recent distinctions in Healthgrades’ OB/GYN Excellence Awards. RWJBarnabas Health received 26 awards, the highest number of any system in the state, for excellence in comprehensive women’s care. Six RWJBarnabas Health facilities were recognized with excellence awards, including Healthgrades’ Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award™, Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™, and Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™. Eight facilities were designated 5-Star Recipients for Vaginal Delivery and five facilities were 5-Star Recipients for C-Section Delivery.
Additionally, two RWJBarnabas Health facilities were recently among the first in New Jersey selected to participate in the launch of the TeamBirth NJ initiative, an evidence-based, national model for better provider and patient communication, which is designed to enhance birthing experiences and improve outcomes for people giving birth and their babies.
For the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list, visit https://money.com/best-hospitals/maternity/.
