ANN ARBOR, MI – University of Michigan Health Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital has again received the highest maternity care recognition a hospital can earn from U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

The hospital was designated a high performing hospital for care provided for uncomplicated births based on factors such as rates of cesarean sections, severe unexpected newborn complications, birthing-friendly practices and exclusive breastfeeding rates among other measures.

“Being recognized as a leader in maternity care reflects our hospital’s commitment to exceptional care for expectant parents and newborns,” said Luanne Thomas Ewald, M.H.A., FACHE, chief operating officer of both U-M Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.

“Our nurses, midwives, doctors and team members are dedicated to the highest level of expertise, compassion, and support during one of the most pivotal moments in a family’s life.”

U.S. News evaluated 817 hospitals from across the United States. Only half of all hospitals evaluated for U.S. News’ 2025 ratings edition are in Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

Von Voigtlander was recognized for low rates of C-sections for first time, low-risk pregnancies and newborn complications and a high percentage of newborns (nearly 53%) being exclusively breastfed or fed breast milk during their hospital stay.

The hospital also met the criteria for a birthing-friendly facility because it participated in a quality improvement collaborative and implemented patient safety practices to improve maternal outcomes.

“Our care teams continually demonstrate leadership in areas of maternity care we know are critical to ensuring the best outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth,” said Dee Fenner, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Bates Professor of Diseases of Women and Children at Michigan Medicine.

“We are grateful for the extraordinary expertise at Von Voigtlander and our teams’ focus on evidence-based, equitable and patient-centered care that contributes to stronger and healthier communities.”

Other factors used to measure hospitals’ performance in the maternity care evaluation included early elective delivery rates, routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) rates, episiotomy rates and whether a hospital tracked and reported their outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities. 

Von Voigtlander reports a low rate of episiotomies – a cut made in the vagina during childbirth that should rarely be performed – and VBAC support at the hospital is about eight percentage points higher than the state average.

Additionally, the hospital tracks and reports its race and ethnicity specific performance on both C-sections and severe unexpected newborn complications, for which racial and ethnic disparities may exist.

U-M Health has been recognized every year since U.S. News began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. 

The U.S. News designation comes on the heels of Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital also receiving recognition for its complex maternity care. In November, it became the first Level IV designated Michigan hospital from the Joint Commission.  

The recent designation verifies Von Voigtlander as a Regional Perinatal Health Care Center providing "on-site medical and surgical care of the most complex maternal conditions and critically ill pregnant women and fetuses throughout antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care."