Reductions in cesarean sections key determinant in long term health of mothers
St. Joseph Health, Santa Rosa Memorial earned recognition for excellence in childbirth care by achieving the federal goal of reducing births via cesarean section (C-section) to less than 23 percent. The hospital is included in the Smart Care C-section Honor Roll, which recognized hospitals that met or surpassed a federal target to reduce births via C-section in first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies.
“Earning this place reaffirms our commitment and efforts in supporting the immediate and long-term health and safety of mothers and babies in Northern California,” said Keila Torres, Area Nursing Director, St. Joseph Health, Sonoma County. “We work to ensure mothers and their babies have the best birth and support the choice of mothers to deliver vaginally whenever possible.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted the Healthy People 2020 target of reducing nationwide C-section rates for low-risk, first births to 23.9 percent. Even for these types of low-risk pregnancies, there are huge variations in rates of C-sections among hospitals in California, ranging from less than 15 percent to more than 70 percent.
California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) stated that the C-section Honor Roll used 2017 hospital discharge and birth certificate data from 240 California hospitals that offer maternity services. A total of 122 hospitals made the list this year compared to 111 in 2017.
“This additional designation is testament that our work continues to greatly benefit the infants, new mothers, and families within our community,” said Todd Salnas, President, St. Joseph Health, Sonoma County. “Santa Rosa Memorial serves our communities with the highest level of women’s and children’s healthcare in the region. Our entire care team, including physicians, nurses, midwives and support staff work to ensure each patient receives personalized, high-quality care.”
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