Two Washington Hospitals Among America’s Best Maternity Hospitals

June 14, 2023

Family birth teams at St. Elizabeth Hospital (Enumclaw, WA) and St. Francis Hospital (Federal Way, WA), were named among Newsweek's list of America's Best Maternity Hospitals 2023. Both hospitals are proud members of the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system and serve patients outside of the metro area expanding critical access to many surrounding communities.

Newsweek's evaluation is based on a nationwide online survey of hospital managers and maternity health care professionals; key performance indicators surrounding maternity care; and patient satisfaction data. Both Virginia Mason Franciscan Health facilities received four ribbons from Newsweek, the second-highest honor given by the organizers. This is the fourth consecutive year that St. Francis Hospital has been recognized, and the third consecutive year St. Elizabeth has been recognized.

"This is an honor and a privilege to receive this recognition," says Kelle M. Dragich, MN, RNC-OB, C-ONQS, King County Region Nursing Director, Family Birth Centers.

St. Francis boasts the best statistics in the region for hypertension and postpartum hemorrhage. Sonali Singh, MD, FACOG, Ob/Gyn Section Chief at St. Francis Hospital adds, "Our goal is to provide high quality health care with compassion and empathy. When patients are here at St. Francis, we strive to ensure it is the best experience that they can get. To that end, we are constantly pushing ourselves to be better, with quality projects, creativity and innovations."

Jennifer Duran, BSN, RNC, and Family Birth Center Manager at St. Elizabeth in Enumclaw shares, "Our team really makes each family's birth experience their number one priority. We take pride in our stellar patient experience scores and excellent quality metrics that demonstrate this commitment."

These metrics include very high levels of exclusive breastfeeding, competitively low C-section rates, and nearly a quarter of deliveries by Certified Nurse Midwives. While St. Elizabeth may be small in size, its state-of-the-art facility offers expectant mothers a wide range of birthing choices and flexibility.

These achievements are even more remarkable when we take into account the significant baby boom during the pandemic. Prioritizing patients’ safety and quality is core to the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health identity and demonstrated clearly by these outstanding centers as they welcome the next generation.

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region, offering access to some of the country’s most prestigious experts and hospitals that are internationally known for superior quality. With a team of 18,000 team members, including nearly 5,000 employed physicians and affiliated providers, we unite the brightest health care minds in the region to provide world-class clinical excellence at 10 hospitals and nearly 300 sites of care throughout the Puget Sound area. We are proud to be the home of Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research. We embrace our community’s uniquely vibrant, active culture by providing holistic, personalized and patient-centered care. We are committed to caring for the most vulnerable in our communities, especially the poor and underserved, providing more than $300 million in community benefit – free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs.