Dominican Hospital Named Best for Maternity Care

Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been named one of Newsweek’s Best Maternity Care Hospitals 2020, joining 230 others in 36 states.

To compile the list, experts looked for hospitals with low rates of C-section, episiotomy, and early elective deliveries, and that follow crucial protocols to protect mothers and babies. These standards are aligned with medical research and best practices but not all hospitals achieve them.

“At Dominican Hospital, we strive to provide a birthing experience that is truly unique—all the advanced care of a leading medical facility within a welcoming and comfortable community hospital setting,” said Dominican Hospital President Nanette Mickiewicz, MD. “We owe this recognition to our incredible Birth Center team, who is dedicated to providing the highest level of care and compassion for each and every birth.”

Newsweek, a digital news organization with a monthly readership of 30 million, is publishing a new series on health care enterprises that excel in patient safety and quality. Ratings are powered by The Leapfrog Group (an independent national health care watchdog organization) using data voluntarily submitted by health care facilities. Leapfrog deploys analysts to review the data and identify high performers.

Dominican has made changes in protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic to assure patients’ health and safety; however, new and expectant mothers should know that you may have a designated support person by your side throughout your labor, birth, and postpartum.

Through a partnership with Stanford Children’s Health–Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Dominican offers a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit staffed by Stanford neonatologists and NICU-certified nurses. Families can rest assured that if their newborn needs extra attention, Dominican offers the highest level of care available in the region.

As a certified Baby-Friendly hospital, Dominican places newborns skin-to-skin on their mothers after birth to bond and make their first feeding attempts. They stay in the same room with their parents throughout their time in the hospital. Breastfeeding classes for expectant parents as well as breastfeeding support following birth are offered at Dominican Hospital through International Board Certified Lactation Consultants who are on-site daily to provide teaching and counsel.

This recognition is the latest of several for Dominican Hospital. In June, Dominican was awarded a second consecutive ‘A’ grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group. The hospital was also identified by Healthgrades as among the top 10 percent in the nation for cardiac care.

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For information see dignityhealth.org/bayarea/locations/dominican/about-us/quality-and-awards