U.S. News & World Report has named three Ascension Hospitals as a 2026 High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care, the highest award a hospital can earn as part of the U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study.
Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Ascension Seton Northwest, and Ascension Seton Hays have all been recognized as "High Performing" for their maternity care. This designation from U.S. News & World Report is based on a comprehensive set of factors, including C-section rates for lower-risk pregnancies, the incidence of severe unexpected newborn complications, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, and the adoption of birthing-friendly practices.
"This recognition celebrates the tireless dedication of our physicians and staff,” said Jamie Youssef, Chief Executive Officer for Ascension Texas. “We’re proud to lead the way in maternal and infant health, ensuring that our growing community has access to the best possible care close to home."
Expanding on this commitment, Ascension Seton will open the area’s newest hospital exclusively for women and newborns in Spring 2026. Located on the Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin campus, the 326,000-square-foot, 178-bed Ascension Seton Women’s Hospital is designed to serve families across Central Texas with:
- A Level IV Perinatal Center, a 14-bed women’s emergency department, and two floors of Level III NICU space with a direct link to Level IV care at Dell Children’s.
- Four operating rooms, including two equipped with state-of-the-art robots for minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
- Private NICU rooms, luxurious recovery suites, and low-intervention birth suites featuring labor tubs.
The new Women’s Hospital highlights Ascension Seton’s growing investment in the future of Central Texas. It will join a network of established maternity centers across Ascension Seton to provide high-quality care.
Serving the growing communities south of Austin, Ascension Seton Hays Women’s Center Birthing Centeroffers personalized maternity care supported by an experienced, multidisciplinary team including OB-GYNs, certified nurse midwives, and specialists. Services range from pre-pregnancy planning to 24/7 OB emergency care and postpartum support. For high-risk pregnancies, the Birthing Center provides Maternal-Fetal Medicine care with advanced diagnostics for conditions like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. The facility features an on-campus Level II NICU, staffed 24/7 to care for premature babies and newborns with complex conditions, ensuring seamless access to the highest level of pediatric specialty care.
Ascension Seton Northwest is a destination for personalized maternity care in North Austin, this facility offers a Level II NICU and a family-centered birthing experience. Like Hays, it provides mothers with the security of the Ascension network, including immediate access to the Level IV NICU and pediatric specialists at Dell Children’s Medical Center for newborns requiring the highest level of intervention.
“Hospitals designated as a U.S. News Best Hospital for Maternity Care are national leaders. This recognition means they are consistently hitting crucial patient safety benchmarks compared to other hospitals,” said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News. “It's a clear signal to expectant parents about where the highest standards of care are being practiced – when parents see this designation, they can be assured they are choosing a hospital dedicated to exceptional, evidence-based maternity care.”
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. For the 2026 edition, approximately 900 hospitals nationwide submitted maternity data for evaluation. Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings are intended to assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care providers, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meet their family’s needs.
