Six Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Once Again Named to U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Hospitals for Maternity CARE   

Six Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Once Again Named to U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Hospitals for Maternity CARE

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health system, is proud to announce that six of its hospitals were once again named to U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Hackensack University Medical Center, Ocean University Medical Center, Palisades Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center earned a “High Performing” designation from U.S. News. This is the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

“I am proud that so many Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals have once again been named among the best maternity hospitals in the nation,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. “This is a testament to our world-class team members who are working tirelessly to provide exceptional maternity care. As New Jersey’s largest health system, we are dedicated to providing safe, compassionate, equitable care to the patients we serve, as well as improving maternal health outcomes across New Jersey.”

Best Hospitals for Maternity Care is an annual evaluation designed to assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity care that best meets their family’s needs.

Hackensack University Medical Center, Ocean University Medical Center, Palisades Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center earned a High Performing designation in recognition of maternity care as measured by factors such as newborn complication rates.

“Hackensack Meridian Health continues to set the standard for excellence in maternal health in the communities it serves,” said Jose M. Azar, MD, executive vice president, chief quality officer, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Maternity care is very personal, and we are working tirelessly to enhance the patient experience and improve patient outcomes.”

Hackensack Meridian Health is on the forefront of addressing maternal health, including:

  • Development of personalized pregnancy and childbirth plans to understand a patient’s unique needs, preferences and goals, to ensure a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.
  • State-of-the-art neonatal intensive care units (NICU) where Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals offer specialized treatments for babies born prematurely or with a serious medical condition.
  • Hackensack Meridian Health performs the most surgeries in the nation for high-risk placenta accreditation and other placental problems, all with excellent outcomes.
  • Board-certified obstetric and pediatric teams to support informed decisions about infant feeding, promote bonding after birth and offer lactation support during and after the patient’s hospital stay.
  • Offering free virtual classes that provide valuable information on various topics, including preparing for childbirth, breastfeeding, infant care and more, with the option to choose from day and night sessions for convenience.

U.S. News, which is the global authority in hospital ranking and consumer advice, evaluated hospitals from across the nation that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis. An all-time high of 680 hospitals participated in this year’s U.S. News survey. Fewer than half – 46% – of all hospitals that offer maternity care and participated in the survey received a High Performing designation.

“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,” said Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News. “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.”

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, early elective delivery rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.

For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and use #BestMaternityHospitals on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).


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