Two local Lake County hospitals – Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington and Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville – recently were recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its annual listing of the “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.”

The annual list helps patients make informed decisions on where to find the nation’s best maternal care based on well above average outcomes of quality measures such as rates of unexpected complications, C-sections and exclusive breast milk feeding.

“This prestigious honor is a reflection of our dedicated experts who understand the importance of supporting expectant parents through one of the most memorable moments in their lives,” Allison Wyler, president of Advocate Health Care’s North Chicago Area, said in a news release. “We are so proud to continuously provide safe, high-quality care to families in our community, while also staying true to our commitment of being a place where parents can feel empowered and well-informed.”

U.S. News began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality such as cesarean section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices and reporting on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.

Across Advocate Health, a total of 25 hospitals received the honor of “Best Hospital for Maternity Care,” showcasing the health system’s commitment to ensuring families across several states have access to safe, quality care. Additionally, six Advocate Health hospitals were designated “Maternity Care Access Hospitals” for providing quality care to expectant parents in areas that would otherwise have inadequate access to maternity services.