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Hospitals received high performing designation for maternity care from U.S. News & World Report.
Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Dec. 5, 2023) – Four Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) hospitals are receiving national recognition from U.S. News & World Report for providing high-quality care to new mothers and their babies.
Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH), which includes LVH–Cedar Crest and LVH–Muhlenberg, LVH–Pocono and LVH–Hazleton, received high performing designations for maternity care for 2023-2024, and are the only hospitals in the region to achieve this honor.
“Receiving a high performing designation for maternity care from U.S. News & World Report is a tremendous honor for me and my team,” says Amanda Flicker, MD, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at LVHN. “Our team of clinicians is among the best in the nation. We consistently provide high-quality, compassionate care at each step of pregnancy and postpartum.”
LVHN provides evidence-based maternity care to ensure new mothers and infants have tools they need to thrive before, during and after pregnancy. Care is team-based, which means obstetricians, midwives, maternal fetal medicine specialists and highly skilled nurses all play a key role in support and education at each step of pregnancy.
The maternity care team is continually learning and receives training based on best practices for care at every level. This training gives our team the tools necessary to make informed lifesaving decisions during the crucial moments of an emergency.
LVHN hospitals in the Lehigh Valley region are Magnet-recognized, so our nurses demonstrate excellence and deliver high-quality care. Only 8% of hospitals earned a Magnet recognition.
The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals maternity care is based on objective measures, including C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, newborn complication rates, exclusive breastfeeding rates, early elective delivery rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency about racial/ethnic disparities.
“Hospitals that receive a high performing designation as part of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care meet a high standard in caring for parents with uncomplicated pregnancies,” says Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News. “These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals’ performance metrics for free at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby.”
U.S. News evaluated 680 hospitals from across the country. Participants submitted detailed labor and delivery data for analysis. Fewer than half of all hospitals that submitted data received a high performing designation.
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) includes 13 hospital campuses, four in Allentown, two in Bethlehem, one in Easton, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton, two in Pottsville, one in Dickson City, and one in Lehighton, Pa.; 28 health centers; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; 20 ExpressCARE locations including the area’s only Children’s ExpressCARE; pharmacy, imaging, home health, rehabilitation and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care for adults and children, burn care at the Regional Burn Center; kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, orthopedics, neurology, complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and robotic surgery in 10 specialties. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute physicians provide the most advanced treatments. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance), an initiative that helps community providers improve the quality of cancer care and offers access to MSK clinical trials. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the community’s first and most trusted children’s hospital, provides access to the most pediatric specialties in the region and general pediatrics. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) is ranked 27th in the country for orthopedic care and among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report. LVH is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the top hospital in the Allentown metro area for the 10th year in a row. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and LVH–Muhlenberg are the region’s only Magnet® hospitals for nursing excellence. Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following us on Facebook , LinkedIn and Instagram.
Information provided to TVL by:
Brian Downs
Public Information Officer
Marketing and Public Affairs
Lehigh Valley Health Network
LVHN.org
