St. Mary’s Medical Center Achieves Healthgrades 5-Star Rating for Vaginal Delivery and C-Section Delivery for the 9th Consecutive Year

West Palm Beach, Fl. - December 2023 –St. Mary’s Medical Center, part of the Palm Beach Health Network, is a 2022 5-Star recipient for Vaginal and C-Section Delivery, as recognized by Healthgrades, a leading marketplace connecting doctors and patients. This marks the 9th consecutive year that St. Mary’s Medical Center has achieved the distinction (2015-2023). This 5-star rating indicates that St. Mary’s Medical Center’s clinical outcomes for Vaginal Delivery and C-Section Delivery are significantly better than expected, placing them among the national Vaginal and C-Section Delivery leaders.

“These Healthgrades designations recognizing our quality of care are just one of the many reasons that more parents select St. Mary’s to deliver their babies than any other hospital in Palm Beach County,” said Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary’s Medical Center, Cynthia Mc Cauley.  “In the event that a newborn needs additional care, he or she will also have access to a variety of pediatric specialties and outpatient clinics at the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center, and our Level 3 NICU offers the highest level of care available.”

Healthgrades analyzed all-payer data for 16 states from 2018 through 2020. Healthgrades found that there is a significant variation in hospital quality between those that have received 5 stars and those that have not. For example, from 2018-2020, patients having a C-Section Delivery in hospitals with 5-stars have, on average, a 60.4% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated by hospitals rated 1 star.*

Services provided at The Birthplace at St. Mary’s include:
• Specialized physician and nurses on staff 24/7
• Level III NICU-Florida’s highest designated level of neonatal intensive care
• A specialized team for high-risk pregnancies
• All private rooms
• Deluxe rooms available at The Birthplace Suites
• Extended visiting hours and accommodations available so that the new dad or support partner can stay over
• Education and support resources for mom, dad and siblings
• Breastfeeding counseling and support by certified lactation consultants
• Pre-registration
• Help finding the right doctor - call 1-855-767-4291 for a free physician referral

“It is critical for patients to select care based on three key pieces of information – hospital quality, facility and care team experience with your condition/procedure, and compatibility – and this 5-star distinction is another benchmark to help make those decisions easier,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and head of Data Science, Healthgrades. “We are proud to name St. Mary’s Medical Center as a 2023 5-Star recipient for Vaginal and C-Section Delivery and look forward to their continued efforts to deliver better clinical outcomes for patients during natural childbirth, C-section deliveries, and gynecologic procedures.”

Consumers can visit healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access the complete methodology here.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of All-Payer data for years 2018 through 2020 and represent 3-year estimates for patients in 16 states for which all payer data was made available. (See 2022 Healthgrades Obstetrics and Gynecology Rating Methodology for more details).