Facility is “high performing” when it comes to facilitating uncomplicated pregnancies.

More than two thousand families know why SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale has been recognized as one of best hospitals for maternity care. U.S. News & World Report recently named SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale among 300+ hospitals nationwide as “high performing” when it comes to facilitating uncomplicated pregnancies.

“Being recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care brings validation to my team for all the hard work they do every single day to care for our moms and babies. I am extremely proud of my team and our providers for the excellent care they provide for our patients,” said SIH Director of Women’s and Children’s Services Terri Pursell.

U.S. News used survey data from nearly 700 hospitals and looked at a wide range of quality metrics including: section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, early elective delivery rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities.

Best Hospitals for Maternity Care have C-section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals that participated in the survey.

Dr. Sherry Jones has delivered babies at SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale for 20 years. She most recently served as medical director of obstetrics.

“Memorial Hospital of Carbondale continues to shine in providing high quality obstetrical care to Southern Illinois. We have been leaders in the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative and have been recognized multiple times for our work at the regional, state and even national levels,” Dr. Jones said.

Birthing_Friendly Recognition

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also recognized the hospital as “Birthing-Friendly.”

“Being recognized as a Birthing-Friendly hospital means we have demonstrated our commitment to improving maternal outcomes by participating in several quality improvement collaboratives and have implemented projects related to maternal morbidity to address these complications,” said Terri.

“These recognitions would not be possible without all the hard work and care by our providers and staff. I have been proud to be part of Southern Illinois Healthcare and their efforts to provide the highest standards of care to all our patients,” Dr. Jones added.