Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown and Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital have been named among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Maternity Care in 2025. They are the only hospitals in Tennessee to receive the prestigious High Performing recognition, the highest honor in the annual ratings. This designation, awarded by the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, underscores their dedication to exceptional maternity care.
Both hospitals received the “High Performing” distinction based on evaluations of key metrics, including low rates of severe unexpected newborn complications, adoption of birthing-friendly practices, and a commitment to transparency on racial and ethnic disparities, among other quality measures.
Commitment to Exceptional Maternity Care
Ascension Saint Thomas is the number one choice for maternity services in the region, with one in three babies in Middle Tennessee born in an Ascension Saint Thomas hospital. Highlights of their services include:
- Comprehensive OB-GYN care with 24/7 obstetrics emergency coverage.
- Advanced NICU facilities: Level III NICU at Midtown and Level II NICU at Rutherford.
- Support programs such as childbirth classes, breastfeeding consultations, and postpartum care.
- A variety of labor, delivery, and recovery suites with comfortable accommodations for families.
Ascension Saint Thomas Leadership Perspective
“At Ascension Saint Thomas, we are committed to providing the highest standard of care to our maternity patients,” said Dr. Brian Wilcox, chief clinical officer at Ascension Saint Thomas. “Being named a ‘High Performing’ hospital for maternity care by U.S. News is a proud moment for our teams at Midtown and Rutherford, and it reflects the dedication and excellence of our caregivers in supporting families during such an important time.”
Trusted Resource for Expectant Parents
The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings evaluated 817 hospitals across the United States, with only half earning the High Performing title for 2025. These ratings guide expectant parents in choosing the best maternity services in consultation with their prenatal care teams.
Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News, said, “The hospitals recognized by U.S. News as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care showcase exceptional care for expectant parents. These hospitals demonstrate significantly lower C-section rates and severe unexpected newborn complications compared to hospitals not recognized by U.S. News.”
The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices, and reporting on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures. For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders, and policymakers to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers, and consumer products and services.
About Ascension Saint Thomas
Ascension Saint Thomas is a leading health care system with a 125-year history of providing care to the community, and is the only faith-based, non profit health system in Middle Tennessee. Today, the health system offers a highly comprehensive system of care, with more than 250 sites of care that cover a 45-county area in Tennessee consisting of 16 hospitals and a network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and specialty facilities. Across the state, Ascension Saint Thomas and its partner organizations employ more than 13,000 dedicated associates who care for millions of patients each year. Ascension Saint Thomas is part of Ascension, one of the nation’s largest faith-based healthcare organizations committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension includes approximately 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals, serving communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.
