Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford Continues to Rank as One of the Nation’s Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

For release: December 7, 2023

PALO ALTO, Calif. — For the third year in a row, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, the center of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, which is exclusively dedicated to caring for expectant mothers and children, has been recognized as a “High Performing” hospital for maternity care by U.S. News & World Report. Fewer than half of the hospitals evaluated for maternity care earned a “High Performing” rating, which is the highest rating that U.S. News gives for uncomplicated pregnancy care.

To be among the best hospitals for maternity care means that Stanford Medicine Children’s Health’s Johnson Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Services provides high-quality labor and delivery services for uncomplicated pregnancies. U.S. News evaluates how well hospitals perform in childbirth using cesarean-section rates, as well as rates of early elective delivery, complications among newborns, breast milk feeding, and whether a hospital offers vaginal birth after cesarean.

“This continued recognition is a testament to the excellence in maternity care that has come to define Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford as one of the best birthing-friendly hospitals nationally,” said Yasser El-Sayed, MD, division chief of maternal-fetal medicine and obstetrics at the Stanford School of Medicine and obstetrician in chief at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. “We are proud of our care team of physicians, nurses, and staff, who provide exceptional obstetrical care for expectant mothers and the community we serve every day.”

U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity rankings

The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity rankings compare hospital ratings for maternity and perinatal care. Nearly 700 hospitals participated in the survey from the U.S. News health analysis team in early 2022, and fewer than half achieved a “High Performing” rating. To achieve the ranking, a hospital must score significantly higher than average on a combination of eight quality measures. The rankings methodology factors in patient outcomes such as mortality and infection rates, available clinical resources, and compliance with best practices. Parents-to-be use these rankings to understand key measures of safety, alongside services and amenities and availability of child birthing classes.

Media Contact

Elizabeth Valente
EValente@stanfordchildrens.org
(650) 269-5401