U.S. News & World Report has named The University of Texas Medical Branch as a 2026 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study, now in its fifth edition.
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.
UTMB Health earned a High Performing designation in recognition of maternity care as measured by factors such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, and birthing-friendly practices, among other measures.
“This honor means a great deal to all of us at UTMB Health, and this recognition reflects the passion and dedication our team brings to every mother and child,” said Dr. Jerome Yaklic, Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "We are proud to provide families with the highest standards during such an important time.”
“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.”