Oh Baby: UC San Diego Health is Delivered Highest Rating for Obstetric Care

“We are beyond proud to receive this prestigious recognition. As the only academic medical center in the region, we are providing patients’ world-class care from the research lab to the hospital bedside,” said Patty Maysent, CEO, UC San Diego Health. “When expectant parents are considering their options of welcoming a baby into the world, we want them to know that our hospital system offers the most comprehensive and compassionate care by superb multi-disciplinary teams.”

U.S. News evaluated nearly 650 hospitals that provide high-quality labor and delivery services for uncomplicated pregnancies for its 2022-2023 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Fewer than half of all hospitals that were eligible and participated in the survey received a High Performing designation.

"The tireless dedication of our teams; outpatient clinicians, nurses and support services offering a gentle hand at the beside and obstetric teams using evidence-based approaches to deliver babies safely, are who made this remarkable achievement possible,” said Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, MD, chair for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

“This rating shows our commitment to the patients we serve from conception to childbirth and postpartum. Having a baby is a profound life experience, and we are honored when families choose UC San Diego Health to be part of that special moment.”

The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as Cesarean section (C-section) rates in lower-risk pregnancies, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, early elective delivery rates, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.

“The Best Hospitals for Maternity Care is designed to help families identify hospitals that excel in delivering babies for uncomplicated pregnancies,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “A hospital that has earned a High Performing designation is providing exceptional care in many areas and may be a good option for parents, in consultation with their medical provider, to consider.”

UC San Diego Health has the highest rate of VBAC in San Diego County and one of the lowest episiotomy rates in California. The hospital system is recognized on the C-Section Honor Roll by California Hospital Care Compare for meeting statewide targets for reducing C-sections in low-risk, first-time parents.

UC San Diego Health also ranked #26 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for obstetrics and gynecology care.

“We provide care for a diverse patient population many of whom have complicated pregnancies. Collaborations with our medical subspecialties, including transplant, cardiology, rheumatology, hematology, pediatrics/neonatology, and surgical subspecialties, along with our multidisciplinary care plan approach, differentiates UC San Diego Health from other hospitals,” said Maryam Tarsa, MD, perinatologist at UC San Diego Health. “This approach allows us to care for some of our highest risk patient populations in a safe manner.”

With two distinct birthing locations and a large staff of physicians and midwives, as well as high-risk specialists and technology, UC San Diego Health gives patients more childbirth options than anywhere else in San Diego.

The Birth Center at Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla offers a more holistic approach, or patients have the option of traditional labor & delivery settings available at both Jacobs Medical Center and UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest.

Both hospitals have a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including a Level III NICU at Jacobs Medical Center and a Level II Intermediate NICU at UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. 

UC San Diego Health also offers a free volunteer doula program and is nationally recognized for breastfeeding support.

"Our exclusive breast milk feeding rate is 81 percent, well over the regional and national averages. Our supportive efforts begin with the first prenatal care visit and are continued post-delivery by our attentive nursing staff, lactation consultants and medical providers," said Eustratia Hubbard, MD, FAAP, medical director of newborn services at UC San Diego Health. "Our teams truly enjoy what we do and the families we connect with and care for."

“We want all of our patients to enjoy the road to parenthood, knowing that we have the expertise and support to manage all situations that may arise,” said Tarsa. “We are truly an orchestrated team with passion and a unified goal of a healthy and happy journey for parents and their infants.”

UC San Diego Health is comprised of UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest and Jacobs Medical Center, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Institute, Moores Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, and the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, all in La Jolla, as well as primary care and same-day services at clinics throughout Southern California. UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest is home to the area’s only Regional Burn Center and one of only two Level I trauma centers in the county.