Excela Health Continues To Earn National Recognition For Maternity Care: Latest Designation Comes From U.S. News & World Report

GREENSBURG, PA December 7, 2021 … Excela Health is once again recognized for its exemplary maternity services, this time recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report. This is the first time U.S. News has published a list of Best Hospitals for Maternity.

Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital through its Family Additions Maternity Center received the designation, the highest rating U.S. News awards for this type of care. Excela Westmoreland is one of 32 hospitals in Pennsylvania, and one of 571 nationwide to be rated.

To be recognized among the Best Hospitals for Maternity, hospitals had to excel on multiple quality metrics that matter to expectant families, including complication rates, C-sections, whether births were scheduled too early in pregnancy, and how successfully each hospital supported breastfeeding. Only one-third of the hospitals evaluated by U.S. News for maternity care earned a ‘High Performing’ rating.
“All families deserve to be informed on how hospitals perform on key indicators of quality, which is why U.S. News has compiled and published a trove of maternal health data from hospitals across the country,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News & World Report. “The hospitals we’ve recognized as High Performing meet a high standard in caring for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies.”

“It is such an honor to be considered one of the best hospitals for Maternity by U.S. News,” said Excela Health obstetrician Randi Turkewitz, MD, FACOG, who chairs the Department of Obstetrics for the health system. “We strive each and every day to provide the best care possible to all of our patients. Instituting multiple safety measures and following best practice guidelines have allowed us to provide this expert care to our patients in the maternity center. It is so important that these metrics are available for the public to review so that they feel reassured that the best providers, nurses and staff are taking care of them or their loved ones. I couldn't be prouder of the dedication and commitment of the team to achieve this recognition.”

John Sphon, Excela Health Chief Executive Officer, echoed those sentiments. “Excela Health has a long history of providing exceptional maternal child services to our community. Beyond labor and delivery, that commitment to quality spans the continuum of care and is also reflected elsewhere in the accolades we continue to receive for a myriad of clinical services. Data-driven evidence-based care is a hallmark for Excela Health and we are proud to have those efforts lauded once again.”

Unique to the U.S. News site, participating hospital profiles are a one-stop shop and include a variety of relevant offerings for parents-to-be including key measures of safety, alongside services and amenities, like private rooms, valet parking and availability of child birthing classes.

The evaluation looks at hospital data relating to only uncomplicated pregnancies, not high-risk pregnancies. Participating hospitals responded to a survey from the U.S. News health analysis team in spring of 2021 which reflects data from 2019. Participation was voluntary. The data will be updated in the summer of 2022 to coincide with the release of the 2022-23 Best Hospitals for Procedures & Conditions ratings.

Excela’s Family Additions Maternity Center also ranks among the nation’s leaders as determined by Newsweek, and is named among the Best Maternity Hospitals with this publication for two consecutive years.

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