Sarah Bush Lincoln was named a High Performing Maternity Hospital for uncomplicated pregnancies by the U.S. News and World Report.
SBL earned the honor because it scored well in multiple measures that U.S. News and World Report uses to rate hospitals. These include 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.
“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,” Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News, said. “These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26 percent lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37 percent lower than unrecognized hospitals that participated in the survey.”
U.S. News and World Report also designated SBL as a Maternity Care Access Hospital. The website’s 2024 rankings gave special recognition to 73 hospitals serving communities that depend on them for access to vital maternity care services. These essential hospitals provide care to expectant parents who wouldn’t otherwise have access to maternity care and serve communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts.
"While growing maternity care deserts in parts of the country have left millions of people without local access to maternity care, these U.S. News-recognized Maternity Care Access Hospitals persist in providing this vital service to under-resourced communities,” Winston said.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from U.S. News and World Report,” Cindy Rivas, SBL Women’s and Children’s Services director, said. “We strive to provide quality care for expecting parents throughout the pregnancy and birthing process, and this designation shows that we are helping people in our community.”
For more information about SBL Women and Children’s Services, call 217-258-2297.