10 HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals recognized for efforts to improve health outcomes for mothers, newborns

HCA Florida Healthcare announced today 10 of its hospitals are winners of the 2022 Excellence for Maternal Care Awards presented by the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. This award, given to 31 hospitals across the state, recognizes those facilities demonstrating a commitment to maternal health care, aiming to optimize C-section rates for low-risk pregnancies and improving health outcomes for mothers and newborns.

Those honored with a 2022 Excellence for Maternal Care Award include:

• HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital
• HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital
• HCA Florida Memorial Hospital
• HCA Florida North Florida Hospital
• HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital
• HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital
• HCA Florida Trinity Hospital
• HCA Florida West Hospital
• Oviedo Medical Center
• UCF Lake Nona Hospital

These awards recognize hospitals surpassing the Healthy People 2030 (HP2030) target goal of 23.6 percent for optimizing C-section rates among first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies, known as the NTSV (Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex) cesarean birth rate.

"The exemplary performance of these hospitals demonstrates the commitment that HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals have to support mothers for successful births," said Diana Moses, AVP of Women's and Children's Services for HCA Healthcare. "The success of optimal NTSV C-section rates reflects the collaborative efforts of our nurses, providers and patients to promote the best outcome for mothers and babies."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that of the total number of cesarean births in 2019, 25.6 percent were among the NTSV population. Nationwide, nearly nine in 10 women who deliver via C-section with their first pregnancy have a C-section with subsequent pregnancies, increasing the risk of dangerous or long-term complications.

HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals utilize evidence-based practices to achieve excellence in patient outcomes. These practices include: Oxytocin Management Initiatives, OB Hospitalist Safety Models, OB Hemorrhage and OB Hypertension Management Plans, and Maternal Safety Measures for Emergency Services.

As one of the state's largest network of healthcare providers, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to the staff and resources needed to manage both routine and complex pregnancies. Providers use advanced technology, such as wireless fetal monitoring, to ensure safe and efficient deliveries.

Each year, HCA Florida Healthcare, which includes more than 650 affiliated sites of care across the state, delivers more than 32,000 babies. Its team of board-certified obstetricians, certified nurse midwives and certified nurses understand family-centered care and provide the right kind of support throughout the birthing process.

To learn more about HCA Florida Healthcare's labor and delivery services, visit https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/specialties/womens-care/labor-and-delivery.