Atlantic Health System’s Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers Recognized as High Performing by U.S. News & World Report for the Best Hospitals for Maternity

Newton Medical Center receives inaugural designation

Morristown, NJ – December 5, 2023 – For their work in delivering extraordinary care for moms, AtlanticHealth System’s Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers have been recognized once again as 2024 High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report. This is the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Atlantic Health System’s Newton Medical Center was also named as a 2024 Maternity Care Access Hospital, an inaugural designation.

Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers earned a High Performing designation for maternity care as measured by factors such as newborn complication rates. The annual evaluation is designed to assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity care that best meets their family’s needs.

For the very first time, U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care evaluation recognizes 73 “Maternity Care Access Hospitals” across the nation. These essential hospitals, which include Newton Medical Center, provide quality care to expectant parents who wouldn’t otherwise have access to maternity care and serve communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts.

“We are thrilled to earn this national recognition which reflects Atlantic Health System’s commitment to high-quality maternity care services and patient satisfaction,” said Doug Arbittier, MD, MBA, Vice President, Service Lines, Atlantic Health System. “This is a testament to our team’s dedication to consistently provide exceptional care to moms and babies in a supportive environment.”

U.S. News evaluated hospitals from across the nation that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the  publication for analysis; 680 hospitals, an all-time high, participated in this year’s U.S. News survey. Fewer than half – 46% – of all hospitals that offer maternity care and participated in the survey received a High Performing designation. 

“Hospitals that receive a High Performing designation as part of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care meet a high standard in caring for parents with uncomplicated pregnancies,” said Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News. “The Maternity Care Access Hospital designation is special recognition of hospitals across the U.S. which serve communities that depend on them for access to vital maternity care services. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals’ performance metrics for free at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby.”

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, newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, early elective delivery rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures.

The U.S. News Maternity Care Access Hospitals designation is based on a number of measures including geographic isolation, number of obstetric providers per 10,000 births and hospital quality. Quality measures are outlined in the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides
rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

About Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 19,000 team members and 5,440 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 12 counties and 6.2 million people. The not-for-profit system offers more than 400 sites of care, including its seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and through its partnership with CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, NJ.

The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,600 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.

Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 24 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.

Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across five health systems in the region.

Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.