Southcoast Health Recognized by the U.S. News & World Report 2025 Maternity Care Access Hospitals
Southcoast Health 
U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Southcoast Hospitals Group, including Charlton Memorial and St. Luke’s hospitals, as a 2025 Maternity Care Access Hospital and a High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care.
“We are truly honored to be recognized for the skilled, compassionate care our teams bring to families across the South Coast region welcoming their newest members,” said Kim Pina, MSN, RN, Executive Director of the Family Centered Unit/Level II Nursery at Southcoast Health. “Our talented staff in Fall River and New Bedford go above and beyond every day, delivering a level of care for every patient and their family members who are cared for in our hospitals.”
Both maternity units at Charlton Memorial and St. Luke’s are staffed with trained and certified lactation consultants who help to promote breastfeeding, educate and assist moms in achieving success and provide support services through Southcoast Health Baby Cafés – friendly and comfortable drop-in support groups for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
Over the past decade, Southcoast has invested nearly $30 million to bring the latest in maternity and neonatal care with its Women and Children’s Pavilion, which includes the state-of-the-art Stoico/FIRSTFED Maternity Center at St. Luke’s Hospital. We pride ourselves on best practice and delivering the highest quality of pregnancy care to our community.
U.S. News’ Maternity Care Access Hospitals designation recognizes hospitals that provide essential quality care to expectant parents who would not otherwise have access to maternity care and serve communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts. Southcoast Health is the only system in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island to earn this recognition.
The U.S. News Maternity Care Access Hospitals designation is based on a number of measures including geographic isolation, number of obstetric providers per 10,000 births and hospital quality. Quality measures are outlined in the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology.
“Earning this national recognition demonstrates the commitment of our providers, nurses, and staff to deliver the highest quality care to our community,” said Christian Pope, DO, FACOG, Chief of Obstetrics & Gynecology for Southcoast Health. “We are proud to be a trusted healthcare partner for mothers and families in our region.”
To learn more about Obstetrics & Gynecology and Maternity services please visit Obstetrics & Gynecology Services | Southcoast Health.
