PINEHURST — FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has been recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report. The high-performing designation is the highest award a hospital can earn in maternity care.
U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, compiles the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list to assist expectant parents, in consultation with their doctors, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity care.
“This recognition highlights the expert care of our providers, nurses and staff and their commitment to delivering the highest quality maternity experience for our patients and their families,” said Mickey W. Foster, MHA, chief executive officer for FirstHealth of the Carolinas.
U.S. News evaluated nearly 650 hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis.
“This recognition is a testimony of the exceptional care and dedication that each physician, nurse and care team member provides to the women in our community,” said Lissette Machin, M.D., OB/GYN with Pinehurst Surgical Clinic. “As health care continues to evolve and new challenges emerge, our team has demonstrated resilience to keep maternity services grounded in individualized patient-centered care that is rooted in excellence and compassion. As a physician delivering women's services at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, it is an honor and privilege to be a member of this nationally recognized team.”
The U.S. News recognition comes on the heels of Moore Regional being recognized by Money Magazine and The Leapfrog Group’s first-ever Best Maternity Hospitals list.
“Our program has continued to expand the quality and availability of women’s health services including high-risk obstetrics and gynecology oncology locally,” said John Byron, M.D., OB/GYN with Southern Pines Women’s Health Center-a FirstHealth clinic. “Patients have access to specialized maternal fetal medicine services locally with FirstHealth UNC Maternal-Fetal Medicine, which reinforces coordination of care with our obstetric practice. Our prior emphasis on quality initiatives through the Pregnancy Medical Home project as well as ongoing clinical trials have improved care here and worldwide.”
This year’s methodology includes four measures not previously factored into Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, including episiotomy rates, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates, and whether each hospital met new federal criteria for “birthing-friendly” practices. Also new this year, the U.S. News methodology rewards hospitals that tracked and reported their outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities.
The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates and early elective delivery rates, among others.
“When expectant parents are considering their options for welcoming a baby into the world, the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care is designed to help them identify hospitals that excel in delivering babies for uncomplicated pregnancies,” said Min Hee Seo, senior health data scientist at U.S. News.
The Birthing Center at Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst is designed to serve the unique medical needs of both mothers and babies, combining the latest medical technology with the compassionate care of highly trained physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and other staff to provide high-quality and safe care. Our comprehensive state-of-the-art labor and delivery program includes a neonatal intensive care unit and maternal fetal medicine.
For more information on the best hospital list, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and use #BestMaternityHospitals on Facebook and Twitter.
