Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital Welcomes First Baby of the Year
Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital welcomed its first baby of the new year –a baby boy, Huxton, who was born at 12:03 a.m. to Taylor and Tony Vasco of Buffalo, Wyoming.
The happy and healthy family is resting after a long New Year's Eve evening.
As a leader in maternity care, Intermountain St. Vincent welcomed 1,773 babies to the Billings community and region in 2024.
Intermountain St. Vincent was recently recognized as high performing among the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care in America by U.S. News & World Report in its annual rankings. The ranking is designed to be a guide to help inform expecting families on where they can receive the best care in their area.
“The personalized, expert care our expectant mothers receive from our caregivers contributes to an exceptional patient experience and healthy outcomes for both mom and baby,” said Janet Harris, chief nursing officer of Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital. “To have St. Vincent featured on this list recognizes the high-quality care given by our caregivers every day which is truly making a difference in the health of the families we serve.”
U.S. New & World Report determines their rankings by analyzing labor and delivery data from a host of topics including newborn complications, Caesarean-section and breastfeeding rates, along with whether a hospital meets new federal criteria for “birthing-friendly” practices.
St. Vincent welcomes these new babies in its remodeled Birthing Center. The renovation in 2023 improved patient care and provides for a more comforting and caring environment for the mothers, new babies, and their families.
Intermountain St. Vincent was the first hospital in southeastern Montana to become a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility. Baby-Friendly is a designation given by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to hospitals that have created the best possible environment for breastfeeding.
In addition to the birthing center, Intermountain St. Vincent was the first Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Billings, providing high-quality, specialized care for babies born premature or needing additional specialized care.