Cedars-Sinai Earns Highest Designation for Maternal Care

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is the first hospital in California to earn Level IV Maternal Care verification for delivering the highest level of obstetric care from The Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that accredits nearly 2,100 healthcare organizations in the U.S.

A Level IV Maternal Care hospital, also known as a Regional Perinatal Health Care Center, provides comprehensive care before birth, throughout labor and delivery and after childbirth. The Joint Commission Maternal Levels of Care (MLC) Verification program operates in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and recognizes the devotion to patient safety and quality of care.

Facilities with this top designation must be staffed with maternal-fetal medicine specialists and critical care physicians to deliver multidisciplinary and integrated treatment for patients with complex obstetric complications such as severe preterm preeclampsia or maternal heart disease.

Level IV medical centers also collaborate with other hospitals by providing medical education and easy access to consultations and transfers to Cedars-Sinai, if needed.  

“Access to this comprehensive level of specialty care can make a crucial difference in the health of both mother and baby and has been proven to reduce maternal morbidity,” said Sarah J. Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai and an expert in maternal-fetal medicine.

“This Level IV verification recognizes our ability to provide coordinated, multidisciplinary care involving obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, neurologists and any other specialty needed to effectively care for these extremely high-risk patients,” Kilpatrick said.

Approximately 3.6 million babies are born each year in the United States, including about 6,000 at Cedars-Sinai, one of the busiest labor and delivery hospitals in California.

The only other hospital in California to be formally verified for any level of maternal care by The Joint Commission is Torrance Memorial Medical Center, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai. In 2023, Torrance Memorial received verification as a Level III Maternal Care facility.

“The Joint Commission commends Cedars-Sinai for being named a Level IV Maternal Care verified facility and for its efforts to standardize maternal care and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality,” said Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer at The Joint Commission.

Hospitals receive Level IV designation following an on-site evaluation and a thorough review of their maternal care services as well as other medical specialties.

“The Level IV verification affirms not only the advanced capabilities of our institution but also the unwavering dedication of our maternal care team—especially our extraordinary nurses, who bring a rare combination of clinical expertise, compassion and readiness to respond to even the most complex maternal-fetal challenges,” said David Marshall, JD, DNP, RN, Cedars-Sinai senior vice president, chief nursing executive and chair of the Department of Nursing.

The Maternal Levels of Care Verification program will also help strengthen awareness of a regionalized approach to care for mothers where needed.

“This prestigious recognition reflects the outstanding professionalism of our multidisciplinary clinical teams who care for these vulnerable patients. The comprehensive management of the highest level of obstetric care is a hallmark of Cedars-Sinai’s service to our community,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences, dean of the Medical Faculty and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine.

When pregnant patients receive the right level of care for their unique needs, it leads to safer births and healthier moms and babies.

“Importantly, most women in the U.S. appropriately give birth at Level I and Level II facilities with excellent outcomes. But one of the keys to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality is matching the level of care a patient requires with the right hospital,” Kilpatrick said.

“This ‘triage’ approach means that most women can stay in their communities, closer to home, family and support. But if things do not go as planned, the highest level of care can be readily available to them.”

Read more on our Cedars-Sinai Blog: Keeping Time With the Baby Blues