St. Bernardine Makes Statewide Honor Roll for Reducing C-Sections

On Wednesday, October 26, California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley recognized Dignity Health - St. Bernardine Medical Center for meeting or surpassing a federal goal aimed at reducing cesarean births (C-sections) for first-time moms with low-risk pregnancies.

St. Bernardine is one of 104 California hospitals to receive this award.   

 

“At St. Bernardine, the mission has always been to provide high-quality medical care and services responsive to our communities need – maternity care remains at the top of that priority list,” stated Victor Waters, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center.  “This esteemed recognition is a testament to the teamwork, dedication and collaboration of St. Bernardine’s physicians and Maternal Child Health team.”

Between 1997 and 2015, California's overall C-section rates increased sharply, from 1 in 5 births (21%) to nearly 1 in 3 (32.2%). During that same period, low-risk, first-birth C-sections increased from 19 percent to 25.6 percent. While potentially life-saving in certain circumstances, unnecessary C-sections can pose serious health risks for babies and mothers. C-sections also cost on average 50 percent more than vaginal deliveries, burdening patients and the health care system as a whole with unnecessary costs.

 

To respond to the rapid rise in unnecessary C-sections, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a Health People 2020 goal of reducing nationwide C-section rates for low-risk births to 23.9 percent.  St. Bernardine has not only achieved that goal, it has surpassed that goal reaching 22.2 for overall C-section rates for calendar year 2015.

 

“It’s about keeping a keen eye on our patients and supporting their efforts for a healthy delivery,” stated Dr. Waters.  “Keeping the C-section rate at or below goal is the right thing to do and we are extremely proud to be recognized for our work to surpass this goal,” he concluded.

About Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center

Serving the health care needs of the people of the Inland Empire since 1931, Dignity Health St. Bernardine Medical Center is a highly-regarded 342-bed, nonprofit, tertiary acute care hospital located in San Bernardino, California.  The hospital offers a full continuum of services, from family care to heart surgery, treating an average of 72,000 individuals in the Emergency Department, delivering 2,100 babies and admitting more than 17,000 patients for treatment each year.