Four hospitals in the Greater Cincinnati area have been named among the best hospitals for obstetric care by U.S. News & World Report.
U.S. News & World Report, the self-proclaimed global authority on hospital rankings and consumer advice, on Tuesday released its list of the best hospitals for maternity care in 2025.
According to the media release, half of the 817 hospitals that submitted obstetric data for evaluation were selected as “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.” Hospitals were not numerically ranked.
The assessment will help pregnant patients make informed decisions about where to receive maternity care in the event of an uncomplicated birth, according to U.S. News.
The four hospitals in the region deemed “best” for obstetric care are:
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Edgewood-Covington Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky; Atrium Medical Center – Middletown, Middletown, Ohio. McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital – Tryheath, Oxford, Ohio. University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Colleyville.
The ranking methodology is based on “entirely objective measures of quality,” the release states. Factors include cesarean section rates in low-risk pregnancies, rates of severe unanticipated neonatal complications, exclusive breastfeeding rates, birth-friendly practices, and reports of racial/ethnic disparities, but these but not limited to.
Hospitals rated “Best” for obstetric care by US News::
47% more likely to be designated as “Baby Friendly” by Baby Friendly USA, demonstrating that hospitals are taking important steps to support breastfeeding. We have a 22% lower C-section rate compared to maternity hospitals not recognized by US News. 44% lower rate of severe unanticipated neonatal complications compared to maternity hospitals not recognized by U.S. News. 33% lower episiotomy rate compared to U.S. News non-accredited maternity hospitals. There is a breastfeeding rate. 12% higher than maternity hospitals not recognized by US News. 13% more likely to report race/ethnicity data for both cesarean sections and severe unexpected neonatal complications compared to maternity hospitals not recognized by U.S. News.
Scoring improvements for the 2025 assessment include increased weighting of racial and ethnic disparities measures and increased weighting of birth-friendly practices measures.
