One of only three Alabama hospitals to receive five-star ribbon in Newsweek ranking
CONTRIBUTED BY EAH
LEE COUNTY —East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC) was recently featured on Newsweek’s 2024 list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals. EAMC was one of only three Alabama hospitals to receive a five-star ribbon score, the highest tier awarded based on the list’s ranking criteria.
High-quality maternity care provided through pregnancy, birth and postpartum is crucial to the long-term health of newborns and their mothers. With more than 2,000 babies born each year at EAMC, East Alabama Health has made extensive investments in the facility’s Women’s and Children’s Center.
“Our region is growing quickly, and along with that is the need for exceptional maternal care, a need we strive to meet head-on,” said Laura Grill, president and CEO of East Alabama Health. “It is our privilege to care for mothers in our community, and to help them welcome healthy, happy babies into this world.”
In 2021, a Level III NICU was opened at EAMC, allowing babies to receive intensive or specialized care from local neonatologists without having to leave town. EAMC is also designated as a Baby-Friendly hospital by the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It first received that designation in 2015, becoming only the second hospital in the state to earn the prestigious label.
In addition to the hospital’s modern NICU and Baby-Friendly designation, EAMC also offers various childbirth preparation and birth navigation classes for soon-to-be mothers. Led by EAMC nurses, these classes prepare mothers for labor and delivery while helping them become more familiar and comfortable with the process.
“¬To be recognized as a top maternity hospital by Newsweek is an amazing accomplishment for our team,” said Rosemary Cummings, executive director of Women’s and Children’s Services at EAMC. “To be one of only three hospitals in the state — and the only hospital in central Alabama to achieve this designation — is even more of a testament to our team’s focus on outstanding care for all mothers and babies.
“We are proud to care for families in our communities, and we want to be your number one choice to care for you during this exciting time in your life.”
The ranking criteria for the Best Maternity Hospitals list is based on three pillars including results from a nationwide online survey, patient experience survey and hospital quality metrics.
During the nationwide survey, hospital managers and medical professionals were asked to recommend leading maternity hospitals and rate them on a 1-10 scale. Patient survey data was taken from publicly available information about patient experience for the hospital. The hospital quality metrics score was determined by using data from The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).
ABOUT EAST ALABAMA HEALTH
East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional referral hospital, while EAMC-Lanier provides inpatient services as well as a nursing home, an acute rehab unit, a senior behavioral health unit and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,800 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eastalabamahealth.org
