An independent study issued today by HealthGrades ranks Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland among the top five percent in the nation for maternity care. Evergreen is only one of two hospitals in Washington and King County to be ranked in the top five percent and receive the 2010/2011 HealthGrades Maternity Care Excellence Award™.

HealthGrades noted that if all hospitals performed at the level of Evergreen and the other top-ranked facilities, there would be fewer maternity complications. The top hospitals had 57 percent lower weight neonatal mortality, 51 percent fewer complications for vaginal deliveries and 74 percent fewer complications for C-sections compared to lower-rated hospitals.

Evergreen delivers babies for about 375 mothers a month, more than any other East King County hospital said Mara Zabari, the director of Women’s and Children’s Services. The hospital has initiated several multi-disciplinary quality improvements in recent years. These include drills to prepare for emergency situations during deliveries, implementing a control center that tracks all monitors in patient rooms and redesigning the charting so staff can identify potential problems early. An enhanced pre-admission process includes coordination with the patient’s obstetrician so the hospital is well-prepared for the patient’s arrival.

“We believe in working with our patients and physicians to provide the best possible outcomes,” said Evergreen CEO Bob Malte. “To have our baby-friendly Family Maternity Center once again recognized as one of the best in the nation reaffirms our commitment to excellence. We know we have an outstanding maternity center and staff who run it and we’re proud to receive the national recognition.”

Evergreen has demonstrated a longstanding history of outstanding clinical outcomes in maternity care. This is the seventh consecutive year HeathGrades rated Evergreen 5 Star in maternity care. Earlier this year Evergreen was ranked among the top five percent of the hospitals nationwide and received the HealthGrades 2010 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. ™ This was the second consecutive year Evergreen was named a Distinguished Hospital. It was the only hospital in King County to receive the award.

HealthGrades reviews approximately 40 million hospitalization records in its studies. Complete information is available at www.healthgrades.com. More information about Evergreen Hospital Medical Center and Evergreen Healthcare can be found at www.evergreenhospital.org.