UM Shore Medical Center at Easton Recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care for Third Consecutive Year

UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, a University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) hospital, has been recognized for the third consecutive time as High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

U.S. News evaluated hospitals from across the nation that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis; 680 hospitals, an all-time high, participated in this year's U.S. News survey. Fewer than half – 46 percent – of all hospitals that offer maternity care and participated in the survey received a High Performing designation. In Maryland, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton was one of only three hospitals so designated.

"Our Birthing Center and UM Shore Medical Group – Women's Health teams deserve tremendous credit for achieving this accomplishment and maintaining this excellent ranking for the third year in a row," said Ken Kozel, President and CEO, UM SRH. "This ranking speaks to the dedication of all our team members and our alignment across the University of Maryland Medical System toward becoming a High Reliability Organization, which is a priority for each and every one of us."

Earning this recognition required UM Shore Medical Center at Easton to excel on quality metrics that matter to expectant families, including newborn complication rates, C-sections among lower-risk pregnancies, early elective delivery rates, the hospital's ability to meet federal criteria for birth-friendly practices, transparency on racial/ethnic disparities and how successfully the hospital supports breastfeeding, among other measures.

"Hospitals that receive a High Performing designation as part of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care meet a high standard in caring for parents with uncomplicated pregnancies," said Jennifer Winston, Health Data Scientist at U.S. News. "These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26 percent lower and newborn complication rates that are 37 percent lower than unrecognized hospitals.

On average, nearly 1,000 babies a year are delivered at the hospital's Birthing Center. In an effort to enhance quality, safety and patient experience, UM SRH now has OB/GYN physicians on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The hospital also has 24/7/365 anesthesia coverage and pediatric hospitalist doctors in the hospital around the clock to provide support to Birthing Center staff, mothers and their newborns.

"We are extremely proud to win this recognition for a third year," said Jessica Genrich, MBA, RNC, Interim Nurse Manager of the Birthing Center. "This honor highlights Shore Regional Health's commitment to providing the highest-quality maternity care to our Eastern Shore families. It also reflects the dedication of our providers, nurses and techs working diligently each day to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care that prioritizes the health and safety of every mother and baby."

In addition to continuing the focus on providing the highest quality patient experience, in the past year, UM Shore Medical Group-Women's Health has expanded access to obstetric, maternity and the full continuum of women's health care by adding four new providers – two UM School of Medicine providers (a perinatologist who specializes in high-risk pregnancies and also a gynecologic oncologist), a certified nurse midwife and a nurse practitioner.

Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals' performance metrics for free at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby.

For information about The Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, visit umshoreregional.org/birthing. UM Shore Medical Group – Women's Health can be reached by calling 410-820-4888.