UCI Health — Orange named a Best Hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report
Academic medical center is a leader in high-quality care for expectant mothers for fifth straight year
Orange, Calif. — For the fifth year in a row, UCI Health — Orange has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of its 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, reaffirming its status as one of the nation's premier hospitals for the care of expectant mothers.
UCI Health — Orange, formerly known as UCI Medical Center, has consistently been ranked among the nation's top hospitals for maternal care. It is home to Orange County’s only combined high-risk perinatal and neonatal program and the only maternal-fetal transport service to receive the most complex cases safely. Its support for breastfeeding mothers also earned it the Baby-Friendly USA designation.
High-performing areas
The high-performing areas in the medical center’s 2026 ranking include:
- Minimizing avoidable C-sections
- Encouraging breastfeeding
- High rate of vaginal births after cesarean section (VBAC)
- Low episiotomy rate of less than 5%
The medical center also is designated a Birthing-Friendly hospital by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for collaborating on a quality enhancement program and implementing evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for mothers.
Managing risk in mothers-to-be
UCI Health obstetricians are committed to advancing the health and equity of mothers-to-be and their infants through care, research, advocacy and public policy.
For example, UCI Health obstetrician and cardiologist Dr. Afshan Hameed spearheaded the development of an assessment tool to better predict the risk of cardiovascular disease during pregnancy. That risk-assessment tool is used today to screen all expectant mothers at the medical center and its effectiveness is now being studied at other major U.S. maternity centers.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for more than one-third of all U.S. pregnancy-related deaths. This is because CVD symptoms in pregnant patients are often misdiagnosed or dismissed, leading to delays in recognizing and treating conditions that may lead to serious short- and long-term morbidity and mortality before, during and after delivery.
Hameed also co-chairs the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative Cardiovascular Disease in Pregnancy and Postpartum Task Force and is a member of the collaborative’s Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Committee, which examines all maternal mortality cases to identify care gaps and quality improvement opportunities.
Rigorous evaluation criteria
To be recognized as one of the 2026 U.S. News Best Maternity Care Hospitals, a facility must have been recognized as “High Performing” in Maternity Care for uncomplicated pregnancies. About half of the hospitals evaluated meet that standard.
Hospitals are evaluated on rates of C-section, unexpected severe newborn complications, routine VBAC, exclusive breast milk feeding and episiotomy. They were also assessed on whether each hospital met federal criteria for “birthing-friendly” practices and for transparency around racial and ethnic disparities.
To make an appointment with UCI Health Maternity Services, please call 714-456-2911.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).