Where’s the best place to have a baby in Austin? Newsweek lists best US maternity hospitals

Newsweek has named America’s best maternity hospitals for 2024, and six in Central Texas made that list of 404 hospitals.

The magazine surveyed doctors in related fields to create a reputation score. For a patient experience score, it looked at hospital surveys of patients asking about cleanliness, discharge instructions, communication between doctors and nurses, staff responsiveness, and other topics. For hospital quality metrics, it examined data from the nonprofit Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals; the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. This data was from March 15, 2023, to March 15, 2024.

Newsweek then lifted up the hospitals with the best scores and divided them into two groups: four-ribbon hospitals and five-ribbon hospitals, with five being the best.

Five ribbons

• Advent Health Central Texas, Killeen
• Ascension Seton Medical Center, Austin
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, Round Rock
• Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, Temple
• St. David’s Medical Center, Austin

Find more: Which three Austin hospitals made Fortune magazine’s national Top 100 list?

Four ribbons

• St. David’s North Austin Medical Center

Find more: Several Austin area hospitals received A and B grades. Here’s which ones got a C

Expanding hospitals for more births

Central Texas has been in the middle of a birthing boom. Driven by people moving to the region for jobs, the number of births in Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell and Hays counties’ hospitals has increased almost 19% from 2012 to 2022, according to state birth certificate data provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Center for State Health Statistics. 

Hospitals have been increasing capacity for women’s services and newborns.