Ascension Sacred Heart’s hospitals in Miramar Beach and Pensacola have been named to Newsweek’s 2021 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals. Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast and Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola were two of only seven hospitals in Florida named to the list. The Best Maternity Care distinction recognizes facilities that have provided exceptional care to mothers, newborns and their families, as verified by the 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Survey.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit that monitors the quality and safety of health care. Best Maternity Care Hospitals are hospitals that meet Leapfrog’s tough standards for excellence in maternity care: hospitals that have low rates of C-section, episiotomy, and early elective deliveries, and follow important protocols to protect moms and babies. Though these are standards aligned with medical research and best practices, not all hospitals achieve them.
“Best Maternity Care Hospitals showcases an elite group of hospitals nationwide,” said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief of Newsweek. “These facilities should be commended for the care they provide to women and families, and for giving babies a strong start to life. As families continue to cope with the effects on the pandemic, this information can support Newsweek’s readership in planning for one of life’s most precious moments.”
Approximately 1,350 babies were born last year at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast.
