WakeMed Named One of Nation's Best Maternity Care Hospitals for 2020
July 22, 2020
RALEIGH, N.C. (July 22, 2020) – WakeMed Raleigh Campus received top recognition as one of the best maternity care hospitals in the U.S., according to a national ranking by Newsweek based on data from The Leapfrog Group. The distinction recognizes WakeMed Raleigh Campus as a proven leader in providing the highest level of quality care for expectant mothers and their babies.
Newsweek’s 2020 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals spotlights facilities that have excelled in providing care to mothers, newborns and their families and have fully met The Leapfrog Group’s standards for maternity care on evidence-based, nationally standardized metrics.
The birthplace at WakeMed Raleigh Campus offers the highest quality care with an expert team of obstetricians, advanced maternal-fetal medicine specialists and neonatologists. Specializing in high-risk deliveries, WakeMed Raleigh Campus offers a comprehensive program of services and staff to protect both mother and child during pregnancy and immediately after birth. It is also home to a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that is a world leader in developmentally supportive care.
“Our dedication to providing safe, quality, compassionate care is reflected in everything we do,” said Dr. Chris DeRienzo, WakeMed chief medical officer and SVP of Quality. “More than anything, this award recognizes the WakeMed team’s deep commitment to delivering the best possible experience for every mother, baby and family. We are proud of their work and proud to keep serving the moms and families of Wake County and beyond.”
With three full-service hospitals offering a birthing experience, WakeMed Health & Hospitals delivers more babies than any other health system in Wake County – more than 8,000 new lives each year.
WakeMed consistently meets and exceeds nationally established quality-focused criteria that emphasize patient safety and outcomes, and Leapfrog is just one measure of safety and quality.
WakeMed Raleigh Campus also has one of the lowest C-section rates in the U.S. according to a leading consumer magazine and was the first hospital in the county to incorporate the concept of single-room care in a NICU setting. WakeMed is designated as a Blue Distinction Center – the highest level of designation – by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for Maternity Services.
Additionally, both Raleigh Campus and Cary Hospital have been awarded by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) while all three hospitals have achieved NC Maternity Center Breastfeeding-Friendly Designation. In 2019, WakeMed was named the best place to have a baby in the Triangle by the News & Observer's Raleigh's BEST awards.
About WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed is a not-for-profit health care system founded and based in Raleigh, N.C. WakeMed exists to improve the health and well-being of our community by providing outstanding and compassionate care to all. WakeMed’s 941-bed system comprises a network of facilities throughout the Triangle area, including three full-service hospitals, seven emergency departments, a dedicated Children’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital, more than 80 physician offices and Wake County’s only Level I Trauma Center.
WakeMed’s mission-driven team includes more than 9,800 employees, 1,500 volunteers and 1,300 affiliated physicians, along with the more than 580 physicians and providers with WakeMed Physician Practices – all representing the best minds and the biggest hearts and the finest quality in health care and community health. For more information, visit wakemed.org or follow WakeMed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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