St. Joseph’s recognized as 5-star recipient for vaginal delivery

St. Joseph’s Health announced that it is a five-star recipient for vaginal delivery as recognized by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.

This five-star rating indicates that St. Joseph’s Health’s clinical outcomes for vaginal delivery are statistically significantly better than expected, and places St. Joseph’s Health among the national leaders in vaginal delivery.

“We are proud to be recognized, once again, for our superior commitment to five-star level care in our Birthplace – Labor & Delivery,” said Heather Shimer-Bero, clinical director of women and infants service line. “This honor validates the dedication our skilled team of nurses and doctors make to delivering safe, compassionate and family-centered care to our patients every day, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Women can feel confident selecting a hospital recognized with a five-star rating for providing exceptional women’s care. We commend the organizations that receive this achievement and for their ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care for their patients,” said physician Brad Bowman, chief medical officer of Healthgrades.

Healthgrades analyzed all-payer state data for 16 states for years 2017 through 2019. Healthgrades found that there is a significant variation in hospital quality between those that have received five stars and those that have not. For example, from 2017 through 2019, women having a vaginal delivery in hospitals rated five stars have, on average, a 43.6% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated by hospitals rated one star.

According to the hospital, this honor comes just weeks after St. Joseph’s Health Hospital became the only hospital in Upstate New York to be named to Newsweek’s list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals 2021. In addition, earlier this year, St. Joseph’s was awarded its fifth consecutive Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade A for the Spring 2021 marking period.