Grand Itasca Receives National Recognition for Excellent Maternity Care

Grand Rapids, MN – Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital was recognized as a 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity, a distinction that highlights the top-notch pregnancy and childbirth care available to parents in Grand Rapids and the surrounding area. 

U.S. News launched the “Best Hospitals for Maternity” list last year. It is designed to help families make informed choices about hospitals where they might have a baby following an uncomplicated pregnancy. This year, U.S. News & World Report evaluated nearly 650 hospitals across the nation. Of those, 297 were awarded the highest available distinction of “High Performing,” making them U.S. News 2022-2023 Best Hospitals for Maternity.  

Grand Itasca’s Women’s Health & Birth Center offers a variety of amenities and birthing techniques to families, and recently added tele-NICU support, meaning that Grand Itasca patients needing a higher level of support have virtual access to maternal-fetal medicine specialists at M Health Fairview.

“Our goal is always to provide the safest and most comfortable care to all of our patients,” said Derek Flier, RN, chief nursing officer at Grand Itasca. “And now with our tele-NICU technology and support, even more patients are able to remain close to home for their care.”

To be awarded a “High Performing” rating, a hospital had to score significantly higher than average on a combination of eight quality measures, including the Cesarean birth rate in low-risk pregnancies, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, and the rate of unexpected complications in term newborns. 

“We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Katy Johnson, MD, an obstetrics and gynecology physician with Grand Itasca. “It is a testament to the compassionate, personalized care offered by our experienced team of doctors, nurses and more, here at Grand Itasca.”