Seattle and surrounding Puget Sound communities have made the cut when it comes to maternity care—eight local hospitals were given a “High Performing” badge in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care” ratings.
- Overlake Medical Center and Clinics, Bellevue
- Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
- Providence St. Peter Hospital, Olympia
- St. Anne Hospital, Burien
- St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way
- St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma
- St. Michael Medical Center, Silverdale
- Swedish Issaquah, Issaquah
The results place Seattle among the 20 metropolitan areas with the greatest number of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care for uncomplicated pregnancy in the U.S. The annual list aims to provide new parents with transparent information to help them make informed decisions about where to seek maternity care.
“Choosing where to welcome a new baby is one of the most personal health care decisions a family makes. U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care [compares] key outcomes and support services at maternity hospitals in their area,” said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News.
Three eastern Washington hospitals were recognized for providing maternity care in areas that could become care deserts if they were to close down: St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, Providence Centralia Hospital in Centralia, and Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake.
U.S. News is world-renowned for its hospital rankings and ratings, and high performing hospitals wear the acknowlegement with pride. The organization began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, and this year, 901 hospitals submitted maternity data for evaluation, a record participation.
The organization stresses that its unbiased analysis and ratings methodology is based on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, hospital services to underserved communities, and other data points.
Measures are weighted to create a composite score.
- NTSV C-section rates and VBAC rates: 35% weight
- Severe UNC rates: 25% weight
- Commitment to exclusive breast milk feeding: 15% weight
- Transparency on racial/ethnic disparities: 10% weight
- Birthing-friendly practice: 10% weight
- Episiotomy rates: 5% weight
Learn more about U.S. News hospital rankings and ratings on the media company’s website.
