Two MUSC hospitals ranked “High Performing” in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Dec. 10, 2024) - MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston and MUSC Health Florence Medical Center were rated as "High Performing" in U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals for Maternity Care rankings released today.

Both hospitals improved over last year’s ratings from “Participated” to “High Performing” maternity and perinatal care hospitals. This is the highest rating awarded by U.S. News & World Report for maternity hospitals. This is the third year that U.S. News & World Report has rated maternity hospitals.

Donna Johnson, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, welcomed the rating improvement, stressing that “Our care teams consistently advocate for the safety and well-being of our maternity patients and their babies. Our goal is to deliver compassionate and patient-first care during an exciting and cherished time in a family’s life. We strive to provide the highest quality maternity experience for every family. I am immensely proud of our care teams and know this is well-deserved recognition.”

The High Performing rating indicates that both locations provide high-quality labor and delivery services for uncomplicated pregnancies. The High Performing status rates how well a hospital performs in childbirth utilizing criteria such as:

Cesarean section (C-section) rates.
Newborn complication rates.
Breast milk feeding rates.
Early elective delivery rates.
Routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) rates.
Episiotomy rates.
If a hospital meets new federal criteria for “birthing-friendly” practices.
Whether a hospital tracks and reports outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities.

"At MUSC Health Florence Medical Center, we are deeply honored to be recognized as a high-performing hospital for maternity care by U.S. News & World Report. This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional, patient-centered care for mothers and their babies. Our dedicated team of health care professionals strives every day to deliver the safest and highest quality care, ensuring that families in our community can welcome new life with confidence and compassion," said Jay Hinesley, chief executive officer of MUSC Health Florence/Marion/Black River Medical Centers.

U.S. News & World Report initiated the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings to assist expectant mothers and families with choosing a hospital that best cares for patients during labor and delivery following an uncomplicated pregnancy. Mirroring the U.S. News’ Best Hospitals rankings, the best maternity care ratings draw from three categories: outcomes, process and structure.

The website FAQ section provides additional information on how U.S. News & World Report evaluates Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

Media contact
Kristen Drew
843-253-9923
drewkr@musc.edu

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About MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion

The MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (SJCH) consists of 250 beds and opened in February 2020 as a replacement facility for the MUSC Children’s Hospital formerly located on Ashley Avenue. The SJCH provides the most advanced pediatric care possible in more than 27 specialty areas, in person or through a robust telehealth network, and includes a Level 1 trauma center and Emergency Department, the state’s only pediatric burn center and solid-organ and bone marrow transplant programs, the state’s largest Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit, an advanced fetal care center, and the #No. 2 ranked U.S. News & World Report children’s heart program which functions through a nationally unique statewide collaboration of pediatric heart surgeons and cardiologists. The MUSC Pediatric Heart Program is also annually recognized as providing exceptional care by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Public Reporting. In January 2022, the MUSC Children’s Health surgery program was verified as a Level 1 Children's Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program.

Housed within the SJCH, the Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion (PTWP) seamlessly integrates children’s care and obstetrical services, thereby enhancing safety and improving outcomes in low and high-risk pregnancies. The Advanced Fetal Care Center ensures that families expecting babies with complex congenital birth defects or medical problems receive care from board-certified maternal fetal medicine providers collaborating with a large multidisciplinary care team of pediatric specialists. The PTWP care is one of only a handful of women’s facilities in the country to offer couplet-care rooms, where newborns and mothers can recover together in an intensive-care setting.