St. Vincent Recognized as a Top Hospital for Maternity Care

St. Vincent Healthcare, part of Intermountain Health, has been recognized as high-performing in Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report. A record-setting 680 hospitals nationwide participated in this year's U.S. News survey. Of those, fewer than half — 311 hospitals — received a High Performing designation.   

U.S. News and World Report analyzes labor and delivery services data to make its determinations, including rates of C-sections, newborn complications, breast milk feeding, early elective deliveries, routine vaginal birth after cesarean deliveries (VBAC), and episiotomies, along with whether a hospital meets new federal criteria for "birthing-friendly" practices, and whether a hospital tracked and reported outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities.   

"For more than 125 years, we have welcomed new babies and cared for families in Billings and our surrounding communities. In fact, we cared for a record number of families for two consecutive years at St. Vincent," said Melissa Filter, Chief Nursing Officer at St. Vincent Healthcare. "Even as we see more babies born at our hospital, we are continually recognized for offering high-quality, patient-centered care. That is something to be proud of." In 2022, 1653 babies were born at St. Vincent. St. Vincent has already surpassed that number this year and looks forward to celebrating another record-breaking year.  

"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% lower and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals."   

St. Vincent welcomes these new babies to the world in its newly remodeled Birthing Center. The $1 million renovation to its Birthing Center improved patient flow and provided a more comforting and caring environment for the mothers, new babies, and their families.   

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, 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.  

St. Vincent's sister hospital in Miles City, Montana, and 15 other Intermountain Health hospitals also received the designation.