Ochsner Medical Center earns "high performing" rating by U.S. News & World Report for maternity care

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Dec 6 2022

Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans, inclusive of Ochsner Medical Center- West Bank Campus and Ochsner Baptist, is the highest-rated maternity hospital in Louisiana, according to Best Hospital for Maternity ratings released today by U.S. News & World Report – the global authority on hospital ratings and consumer advice. Ochsner Medical Center (OMC) earned the "High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy)" rating – the highest rating U.S. News & World Report awards for maternity care. Ochsner Medical Center was the only hospital in Louisiana to get a "high performing" rating by U.S. News & World Report for maternity care this year.

Our teams at Ochsner Baptist and Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank do incredible work every day to ensure that our mothers and babies are kept healthy and well. We are so grateful to our communities and to the mothers who choose to have their babies here, with us."

Lisa Pellerin, MSN, FACHE, System Vice President of Women's and NICU Services, Ochsner Health

To be recognized in Best Hospitals for Maternity, hospitals had to excel on multiple quality metrics, including complication rates, C-section rates, whether births were scheduled too early in pregnancy, and how successfully each hospital supported breastfeeding. Participation was voluntary and the evaluation reviewed hospital data relating to only uncomplicated pregnancies, not high-risk pregnancies.

U.S. News evaluated nearly 650 hospitals that provide high-quality labor & delivery services for uncomplicated pregnancies for its 2022-2023 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Fewer than half of all hospitals that offer maternity care and participated in the survey received a High Performing designation.

"When expectant parents are considering their options for welcoming a baby to the world, the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care are designed to help them identify hospitals that excel in delivering babies for uncomplicated pregnancies," said Ben Harder, Chief of Health Analysis and Managing Editor at U.S. News. "A hospital that has earned a High Performing designation may be a good option for parents, in consultation with their medical provider, to consider."

Ochsner Medical Center and other Ochsner Health facilities have been recognized as leaders in maternity and women's services before. Accolades include:

• Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC) Louisiana Birth Ready and Louisiana Birth Ready+ Designation: With two tiers of achievement, this designation celebrates improved perinatal health outcomes, the result of implementing clinical practices that promote safe, equitable, and dignified birth for all birthing persons. As of February 2022, the Birth Ready Designation was awarded to four hospitals – Ochsner LSU Health Monroe, Ochsner Medical Center Baton Rouge, Ochsner Medical Center Kenner, Ochsner Medical Center West Bank. Additionally, two Ochsner hospitals achieved the Birth Ready + Designation -- Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport St. Mary Medical Center and Ochsner Baptist.
• Ochsner was awarded nearly $1 million for a digital health program to help pregnant mothers, among other patients. In December 2021, Ochsner Health was awarded $999,996 by the Federal Communications Commission as part of Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Ochsner is using the grant to fund Connected Health's remote monitoring devices which support and deliver digital care to a range of patients – including pregnant mothers. This is the second round of funding the FCC has awarded Ochsner Health through the competitive program, bringing the total to nearly $2 million.
• Numerous Ochsner Health hospitals and partners across the Gulf South received an "A" Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. This national distinction recognized 16 Ochsner Health facilities for achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital. The facilities are Ochsner Acadia General Hospital, Ochsner Baptist, Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge, Ochsner Medical Center – Hancock, Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner, Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, Ochsner Medical Center - North Shore, Ochsner St. Mary, Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank, Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center (Ochsner Partner), Ocean Springs Hospital (Ochsner Partner), Pascagoula Singing River Hospital (Ochsner Partner), Singing River Gulfport Hospital (Ochsner Partner), St. Bernard Parish Hospital (Ochsner Partner), St. Charles Parish Hospital (Ochsner Partner) and St. Tammany Health System (Ochsner Partner).

Dr. Joseph Biggio, Jr., MD, System Chair of Women's Service Line and System Chair for Maternal Fetal Medicine at Ochsner Health said, "High-quality and equitable prenatal care is critical for our expecting mothers. This accolade demonstrates that Ochsner is dedicated to serving the growing families of Louisiana, and that our excellence is unmatched in this area of expertise."

Access to high quality prenatal care both for mother and baby has been shown to increase the chances of a safer, full-term pregnancy. Based in New Orleans, OMC is a destination for maternity care and women's services for the Greater New Orleans Area. Ochsner Baptist is home to the Perkin Alternative Birthing Center – the only hospital-based alternative birthing center in the region – as well as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with a Level IV Regional designation, the highest-level designation awarded by the state of Louisiana.

For more information about Ochsner Health and women's services, please visit ochsner.org/services/womens-services. For resources for expecting and new parents, please visit ochsner.org/newmom. For more information on U.S. News World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity.