UHC among Six WVU Medicine Hospitals Recognized for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on December 13, 2024
U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has recognized the maternity care services at six WVU Medicine hospitals as part of its 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings.
Five WVU Medicine Hospitals – Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg; Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) in Oakland, Maryland; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon; United Hospital Center (UHC) in Bridgeport; and WVU Hospitals in Morgantown – were all named as a 2025 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study.
U.S. News evaluated 817 hospitals from across the United States. Half of all hospitals evaluated for U.S. News’ 2025 ratings edition have been recognized as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.
Three WVU Medicine hospitals – Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, GRMC, and UHC – were named 2025 Maternity Care Access Hospitals. This recognition is reserved for hospitals offering essential maternity services to underserved communities. Introduced last year, the Maternity Care Access Hospital designation recognizes essential hospitals serving communities that would be in danger of becoming maternity care deserts if they were to stop providing crucial maternity care services.
Only 14 percent of all U.S. News evaluated hospitals have been designated as Maternity Care Access Hospitals. They were evaluated based on detailed data submitted to U.S. News.
“As a father, I understand and appreciate the full spectrum of emotions new parents experience – from joy to stress to everything in between. It is a core memory that will stay with them forever,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the West Virginia University Health System, said. “This recognition from U.S. News & World Report shows that our hospitals are providing excellent care to families throughout the region during this life-changing chapter. We are honored that those families have entrusted us with their care in such a pivotal moment in their lives.”
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, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices, and reporting on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.
“The hospitals recognized by U.S. News as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care showcase exceptional care for expectant parents,” Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News, said. “These hospitals demonstrate significantly lower C-section rates and severe unexpected newborn complications compared to hospitals not recognized by U.S. News.”
The U.S. News Maternity Care Access Hospitals designation is based on a number of measures, including geographic isolation, number of obstetric providers per 10,000 births, and hospital quality. Maternity Care Access Hospitals must also meet quality measures for C-section, severe unexpected newborn complications, and episiotomy.
“U.S. News awarded the Maternity Care Access Hospital designation to just 118 hospitals nationwide,” Dr. Winston said. “These hospitals ensure continued access to critical maternity care services and demonstrate their dedication to closing the gap in maternity care deserts.”
For more information on WVU Medicine, visit WVUMedicine.org.
