Four Health System Hospitals Named to U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Elmhurst, Lincoln, and Woodhull were named to the list Nearly 16,000 children are born at NYC Health + Hospitals each year
Dec 10, 2024
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that four of its hospitals were recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2025 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care: NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Elmhurst, Lincoln, and Woodhull. U.S. News evaluated 817 hospitals from across the United States, and only half of all hospitals evaluated for its 2025 ratings edition have been recognized as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. The award’s methodology is based on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices and reporting on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.
“Congratulations to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Elmhurst, Lincoln and Woodhull for being named to the list of U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity Care!” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Women’s Health Officer Wendy Wilcox, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG. “All of our maternal care teams, physicians, nurses, midwives, as well as leadership and support staff should be very proud for receiving this recognition. This honor shows not only how well our teams collaborate in caring for patients, but also how well our clinicians provide equitable care in the face of complex clinical cases, and needs of behavioral and social determinants of health. This is a very proud moment for NYC Health + Hospitals. Thanks to everyone who brought it to fruition!”
“The hospitals recognized by U.S. News as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care showcase exceptional care for expectant parents,” said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News. “These hospitals demonstrate significantly lower C-section rates and severe unexpected newborn complications compared to hospitals not recognized by U.S. News.”
All four hospitals were recognized for avoiding unnecessary C-sections and achieving above-average rates of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. While C-sections are sometimes necessary, they should be avoided when possible since they can lead to serious complications, including infections, bowel or bladder injury, hysterectomy, rupture of the uterus, and problems with the placenta in future pregnancies.
All 11 of NYC Health + Hospitals’ acute care facilities have been designated as Baby-Friendly hospitals by Baby-Friendly USA for maintaining high rates of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding helps infants by reducing their risk of several health conditions, including asthma, obesity, and type 1 diabetes. Breastfeeding also benefits mothers, reducing their risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and ovarian and breast cancers.
NYC Health + Hospitals’ obstetric and gynecologic services include primary care, family planning, abortion care, prenatal through delivery care, midwifery and referrals for doula services, postpartum care, breastfeeding and lactation services, breast exams, nutrition, behavioral health referrals, preventive care, and vaccinations. Nearly 16,000 children are born at NYC Health + Hospitals each year. Gynecology services include menopause and fibroid treatments, as well as specialty practices for gynecologic cancers, pelvic pain, and endometriosis. Patients wishing to make an appointment can call 844-NYC-4NYC.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue is America’s oldest public hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the 851-bed hospital is a major referral center for highly complex cases, with 6,000 employees including highly skilled, interdisciplinary clinical staff. The hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center and annually it sees about 103,000 emergency room visits, and more than 520,000 outpatient visits. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Bariatric Surgery; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Children’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care organization for several specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health services. Last year, the hospital received close to 700,000 ambulatory care visits and over 130,000 emergency room visits. The hospital has been nationally-ranked and named as a “Best Regional Hospital” by US News and World Report, and has been noted for providing exceptional care in key areas, including Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD. Stay connected on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElmhurstHosp.
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, located in the South Bronx, is a 362-bed, Acute Care Level 1 Trauma Center and sees more than 168,000 emergency room visits and more than 600,000 outpatient visits annually. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Breast Imaging; Designated Stroke Center, Diabetes Center and HIV/AIDS Center. Lincoln Hospital was the first Baby-Friendly designated hospital in the Bronx, providing clinical services and consultations for over 1,500 deliveries per year. The hospital emphasizes primary care and specialty medicine, using the latest advances in medical science. Lincoln is part of NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health care system in the nation. For more information visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/lincoln and stay connected on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LincolnHosp.
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Brooklyn. It is a premiere health care organization for key specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and behavioral health services. Last year, the hospital received close to 300,000 ambulatory care visits and close to 100,000 emergency room visits. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/woodhull and stay connected on Facebook.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.