Escondido CA— Palomar Health is proud to announce both Escondido and Poway Birth Centers have been recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report. This is the first time U.S. News has published a list of Best Hospitals for Maternity. Of the 571 delivering hospitals across the country who submitted data, only 237 made the top-performing list.
To be recognized among the Best Hospitals for Maternity, hospitals had to excel on multiple quality metrics that matter to expectant families, including complication rates, C-sections, whether births were scheduled too early in pregnancy, and how successfully each hospital supported breastfeeding. Only one-third of the hospitals evaluated by U.S. News for maternity care earned a ‘High Performing’ rating.
“All families deserve to be informed on how hospitals perform on key indicators of quality, which is why U.S. News has compiled and published a trove of maternal health data from hospitals across the country,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News & World Report. “The hospitals we’ve recognized as High Performing meet a high standard in caring for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies.”
Palomar Health Escondido and Poway Birth Centers earned a “High Performing” rating in Best Hospitals for Maternity. “High Performing” is the highest rating U.S. News awards for that type of care.
“Bringing new life into the world is one of the most special events any medical professional and family can experience,” said Palomar Health Chief Operations Officer Sheila Brown. “Palomar Health birth centers in Poway and Escondido are proud to deliver this joyful experience to 4,000 parents each year and do it at the highest level.”
Unique to the U.S. News site, participating hospital profiles are a one-stop shop and include a variety of relevant offerings for parents-to-be including key measures of safety, alongside services and amenities, like private rooms, valet parking and availability of child birthing classes.
The evaluation looks at hospital data relating to only uncomplicated pregnancies, not high-risk pregnancies. Participating hospitals responded to a survey from the U.S. News health analysis team in spring of 2021 which reflects data from 2019. Participation was voluntary. We anticipate updating Best Hospitals for Maternity in summer of 2022, to coincide with the release of the 2022-23 Best Hospitals for Procedures & Conditions ratings.
Named by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals in 2021, Palomar Health is anchored by two medical center campuses which provide an array of acute care services, obstetrics, rehabilitation, behavioral health, pediatrics and neonatal intensive care. For more information on Palomar Health, please visit PalomarHealth.org. To learn more about Palomar Health’s Birth Centers, please click here.

About Palomar Health

Established in 1948, the award-winning team at Palomar Health provides the most comprehensive healthcare in North San Diego County through its two medical centers and more than 900 affiliated medical providers serving more than half a million people. Palomar Health is San Diego County’s only member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network and is nationally recognized as operating one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals; a Best 100 Hospital for joint replacement and orthopedic surgery; a Best Hospital for stroke care, heart care and bariatric surgery; a Diabetes and Stroke Center of Excellence; and a Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery, cardiac care and maternity.
Through its network of providers, Palomar Health offers medical services in virtually all fields of medicine, including primary care, cardiovascular care, emergency services, trauma, cancer, orthopedics, women’s health, behavioral health, rehabilitation, robotic surgery and bariatric surgery at offices strategically located throughout the North San Diego County region. For more information, please visit PalomarHealth.org.