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Mercy is celebrating its award-winning maternity care this week after two of its hospitals in the Ozarks made U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.
Only 414 hospitals across the country made the list, which was released Dec. 10, and five of those were in Missouri. Four of those five Missouri hospitals are Mercy hospitals, including Mercy Hospital Jefferson, Mercy Hospital Southeast in Cape Girardeau, Mercy Hospital Aurora and Mercy Hospital Lebanon. In both Lebanon and Aurora, Mercy is the only provider of labor and delivery services.
“Both of these towns are considered small communities, and these are exactly the kinds of places that are quickly becoming maternity care deserts as other hospitals close their doors,” said Nicki Gamet, vice president of regional operations for Mercy Springfield Communities. “Mercy is committed to ensuring maternity care is accessible to all patients, especially in rural communities like Aurora and Lebanon.”
To compile the list, U.S. News evaluated 817 hospitals providing labor and delivery services. Hospitals submitted detailed data, which were analyzed based on a variety of quality measures, including C-section rates for lower-risk pregnancies, rates of severe unexpected newborn complications, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices and the reporting of racial and ethnic disparities. For the 2025 ratings, U.S. News increased the weight of the last two categories to better reflect their importance to maternity care excellence.
“We know that we provide a crucial service to patients in this region,” said Dr. Chibuike Anokwute, physician operations leader for Mercy’s family medicine and obstetrician programs in both communities. “We are the only health care provider in this area if a patient goes into labor or needs prenatal or postnatal care. Our patients rely on us, and we take that responsibility very seriously, so earning this recognition from U.S. News is a sign that our hard work is paying off.”
