Low C-section rates have once again placed Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH) on the Cal Hospital Compare Maternity Honor Roll. MLKCH’s C-section rates (12.7%) are nearly half the California state average (22.88%) and are significantly lower than the 23.9% statewide target.
Caesarean sections, or C-sections, place women and babies at higher risk of post-delivery complications and can complicate future childbirth, according to Cal Hospital Compare.
Particularly troubling is the high rate of C-section in minority communities. African American mothers are much more likely to have a C-section than women overall.
MLKCH has been on the Honor Roll since 2019, when the recognition was launched. MLKCH’s low C-section rates are attributable in part to the hospital’s unique midwife-led model, which pairs a laborist with a midwife for all deliveries.
“Our model proves that when women women’s voices are heard and valued, better results follow,” said Tammy Turner, who heads the Perinatal Nursing Department at MLKCH. “Midwife-led maternity is all about listening to the mother and giving her the time and support she needs to give birth naturally.”
Cal Hospital Compare is an independent, non-profit organization that rates California hospitals and focuses on quality and performance information to help consumers make informed medical decisions and improve the healthcare system.