Baptist Health hospitals earn distinction for high-quality maternity care

Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Baptist Medical Center Clay, Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and Baptist Medical Center South recently received The Joint Commission’s Maternal Levels of Care (MLC) Verification.

The verification is designed to help ensure patients are matched with the right care in the right place at the right time based on their unique newborn and maternal health needs.

“This designation demonstrates that we are committed to ensuring every mother and baby receives care tailored to their unique needs, from routine deliveries to complex cases,” said Dr. Kathryn Villano, maternal and fetal medicine specialist with Regional Obstetric Consultants who practices at Baptist Health. “For our community, it means knowing that exceptional, evidence-based care is available close to home, improving outcomes for families and strengthening overall maternal health.”

Baptist Health is an integrated system of care with the ability to care for the full spectrum of maternal health needs:

• Baptist Beaches received the Level I designation, meaning the hospital and its staff are prepared to care for mothers with low- to moderate-risk pregnancies and have the ability to detect and manage unexpected maternal-fetal or neonatal problems until a patient is transferred for a higher level of care.

• Baptist Clay received the Specialty Care (Level II) designation, covering all the Level I requirements, with the ability to care for moderate- to high-risk antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum conditions.

• Baptist South received the Subspeciality Care (Level III) designation, covering all Level I and Level II requirements, plus care for more complex maternal medical conditions, obstetric complications and fetal conditions.

• Baptist Jacksonville received the Regional Perinatal Health Care Center (Level IV) designation, the highest verification, demonstrating all Level I to Level III requirements, plus multidisciplinary medical and surgical care for the most complex maternal conditions and critically ill pregnant women and fetuses throughout antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care.

Having a system like Baptist Health with different levels of maternal care across hospitals is essential for making sure moms and babies get the right care at the right time. With this structured approach, moms with low-risk pregnancies can safely deliver at hospitals designed for routine maternity care, while those with more complex medical needs have access to hospitals equipped with advanced specialists, technology and resources. If a higher level of care is needed, hospitals can quickly coordinate transfers to ensure moms and babies receive specialized treatment without delay.

“This approach ensures every mom has access to care that is right for her and baby,” said Tammy Daniel, executive vice president and chief nursing officer at Baptist Health. “If a pregnancy is low-risk, moms can deliver close to home with the support they need. But if complications arise, we have a seamless process to connect them with advanced care. It’s all about keeping moms and babies safe while making the best use of health system resources. Most importantly, it demonstrates our commitment to supporting all pregnancies and births in our community.”

The MLC Verification process involves a comprehensive on-site review from The Joint Commission to verify the level of care provided at each hospital. All reviewers are obstetric providers, such as OB nurses, midwives or clinicians.

The verification program was developed using the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Levels of Maternal Care and Obstetric Care Consensus document and ultimately aims to make childbirth a safer experience for mothers and babies.