Allegheny Health Network Earns High Marks for Maternity Care: Three Network Hospitals Receive U.S. News & World Report's 'High Performing' Designation

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Press Releases Jefferson Hospital West Penn Hospital Wexford Hospital Women and Infants Center

AHN is the only health system in western Pennsylvania to achieve "high performing" status for its excellence in maternity and perinatal care delivery

PITTSBURGH- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today that three of its hospitals - Wexford, Jefferson, and West Penn - have achieved a "High Performing" designation for maternity and perinatal care in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings, released to the public Tuesday.

AHN is the only health system in western Pennsylvania to earn the U.S. News & World Report's "high performing" status for maternity care, which is solely determined by the quality of its metrics.

A record 817 hospitals across the country submitted maternity data for evaluation this year with just over half receiving "high performing" designations in the 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list.

The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings evaluate hospitals based on a rigorous, objective assessment of key metrics which include C-section rates in lower-risk patients, early elective delivery rates, newborn complication rates, breastfeeding rates, and adherence to birthing-friendly practices.

Among other key data points, hospitals rated as the "Best" for maternity care maintain c-section rates that are 22% lower, breast milk feeding rates 12% higher and newborn complication rates that are 44% lower than unrecognized hospitals that participated in the survey, according to a news release issued by U.S. News.

"We're incredibly proud of the exceptional care provided by AHN's multidisciplinary teams to mothers, birthing people, and their babies," says Marcia Klein-Patel, MD, PhD, Chair of AHN Women's Institute. "Today's U.S. News & World Report recognition underscores their commitment to delivering the safest, most advanced care, and creating optimal health outcomes and positive experiences for every patient."

AHN West Penn Hospital, AHN's flagship maternity hospital, offers a comprehensive spectrum of gynecologic and obstetrics care, and it also features a state-of-the-art Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for newborns requiring advanced treatment or further observation. AHN West Penn is also home to the network's leading maternal-fetal medicine team, which provides highly specialized care and counsel for high-risk, complex pregnancies.

It has also been ranked as a top 50 hospital nationally for maternity care by U.S. News and World report.

More recently, AHN Jefferson marked the 10th anniversary of its obstetrics program with a celebratory birthday party recognizing children born there over the last decade. Upon opening in November 2014, it was the first hospital in the state to open an OB unit in more than 35 years.

AHN Wexford, the network's full-service hospital which opened in September 2021, continues to be lauded for its high level of complex care, its beautiful facilities and its bustling labor and delivery program. Since opening, it has welcomed more than 4,800 babies into the world.

"What sets AHN apart from most other health systems is that we deliver on our promise to invest in the health of women and their children," said Allan Klapper, MD, president of AHN Wexford Hospital and former Chair of AHN Women's Institute. "As hospitals continue to shutter their obstetrics units, causing new and expectant mothers to travel longer distances to receive care, we have been proud of our commitment to standing up successful and highly utilized programs in the communities we serve that improve the health outcomes for mom and their babies."

AHN Wexford, Jefferson and West Penn hospitals join AHN Forbes in Monroeville, Pa and AHN Saint Vincent in Erie to comprise the AHN Women's Institute's comprehensive labor & delivery program in western Pennsylvania.

For more information on AHN or its labor and delivery hospitals, visit ahn.org.

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About AHN Women's Institute:
Allegheny Health Network's (AHN) Women's Institute is home to five labor and delivery units at West Penn, Saint Vincent in Erie, Jefferson, Forbes and Wexford hospitals. Each year, thousands of newborns get their start at these AHN facilities which offer personalized physician-patient relationships, one-on-one nursing care and family-centered, private birthing suites.

Critically ill infants are cared for in advanced level III neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at West Penn and Saint Vincent Hospitals, while level II NICUs for non-critically ill infants are located at Forbes, Wexford and Jefferson hospitals.

In addition to labor and delivery services and routine gynecological care, AHN's comprehensive services include care for high-risk pregnancies, fertility services, reproductive genetics, gynecologic oncology, urogynecology, perinatal depression treatment, lactation support and care for patients struggling with substance use disorders. Certain AHN locations also offer CenteringPregnancy^© for birthing patients interested in group prenatal appointments.

For more information, please visit ahn.org.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.