Southcoast Health’s Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River and St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford have been recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care by U.S. News and World Report on its 2025 List of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

U.S. News began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list assists expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meets their family’s needs.

“This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study,” said David O. McCready, President and CEO of Southcoast Health. “I am proud of Southcoast Health’s commitment to providing exceptional maternity care to our community, and I want to extend my gratitude to the entire team who made this achievement possible.”

The Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely 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.

“We are honored to earn this recognition for the outstanding maternity care and service we provide our patients across the South Coast region,” said Kim Pina, MSN, RN, Executive Director of the Family Centered Unit/Level II Nursery at Southcoast Health. “I am grateful to work with our amazing team who is committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to our patients and their families.”

Southcoast Health was also the only organization in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to be named to the U.S. News and World Report’s list of 118 Maternity Care Access Hospitals across the country. This means that Southcoast Health provides quality care to expectant parents who would not otherwise have access to maternity care and serves communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts.

“Earning this national recognition demonstrates the continued dedication and high standard of excellence from our team of staff, nurses, advanced practice providers, midwives and physicians who continue to deliver to our community,” added Christian Pope, DO, FACOG, Chief of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Southcoast Health. “We are proud to provide this essential care for our community.”

Last year, over 3,000 babies were born at Charlton Memorial and St. Luke’s hospitals. In addition to this recognition, both hospitals achieved redesignation as Baby-Friendly in 2024, demonstrating that the health system adheres to the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

“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.”

To learn more about Maternity Services at Southcoast Health please visit www.southcoast.org/services/maternity-services/.