ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Reports for the 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care for Uncomplicated Pregnancies from the U.S. News & World Report show that Centra Virginia Baptists Hospital (VBH) was a high performer.
VBH delivers around 2,600 babies annually from Lynchburg and the surrounding region. There are several criteria that the U.S. News evaluates for hospital performance in childbirth including the following:
- C- C-section rates
- Newborn complication rates
- Breast milk feeding rates
- Early elective delivery rates
- Routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC)
- Episiotomy rates
The report evaluates whether the hospital meets federal standards for “birthing-friendly” practices and reporting outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities.
Standouts from the ranking include:
- Maternity Access Hospital: VBH was recognized in this category for providing care to patients who otherwise would not have access to maternity care.
- C-sections: VBH was ranked excellent at minimizing avoidable C-sections.
- Severe Newborn Complications: severe injury or infection complications were ranked rare at VBH.
- Breast Milk Feeding: 53.2% of babies were exclusively breastfed or fed breast milk during their hospital stay at VBH; the national average is 49%.
- Birthing-Friendly: Hospitals recognized as Birthing-Friendly have demonstrated their commitment to improving maternal outcomes by participating in quality improvement collaboratives.