Paoli Hospital Earns Top Honor For Labor, Delivery

PAOLI, PA — Two Main Line Health facilities were recently recognized for their work in labor and delivery, and one is in Paoli.

Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital earned a rating of "high-performing" in labor and delivery care from U.S. News & World Report, the healthcare organization said.

This marks the third year in a row that Paoli Hospital has earned this designation. Riddle Hospital earned the designation for the fourth year in a row.

U.S. News & World Report issues its Best Hospitals for Maternity Care rankings to help expectant mothers and families make informed choices, in consultation with their doctors, about where to have a baby after an uncomplicated pregnancy.

The ratings are determined by data submitted by hospitals nationally.

"I am immensely proud of the physicians, nurses and support teams at Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital," Joseph Gobern, MD, MBA, FACOG, chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Main Line Health, said. "These rankings reflect our structured approach and steadfast commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care for mothers and infants. It is particularly gratifying that they acknowledge these hospitals for our dedication to equity in maternity care for diverse racial and ethnic communities."

Hospitals rated “Best” for Maternity Care by U.S. News are more likely to have taken important steps to support breastfeeding, have lower C-section rates and lower severe unexpected newborn complication rates.

U.S. News & World Report evaluated an all-time high 899 hospitals that provide labor and delivery services.

Slightly more than half of the hospitals got a high-performing designation, the highest award a hospital can earn in maternity care.

Factors in these ratings include how well hospitals perform in childbirth using C-section rates, newborn severe complication rates, breast milk feeding rates, routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) rates, episiotomy rates, whether a hospital meets new federal criteria for "birthing-friendly" practices, and whether a hospital tracked and reported their outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities.