Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville has been named as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics by the Women’s Choice Award. The award signifies that Inland Hospital is in the top 7% of 4,729 U.S. hospitals offering obstetrics.

Inland Hospital is one of only four hospitals in Maine to earn the top obstetrics award. Others include Northern Light Mercy Hospital and Maine Medical Center in Portland, and Cary Medical Center in Caribou.

“We are so proud of our birthing center and women’s health teams,” says Tricia Costigan, president of Inland Hospital, in a news release from the hospital. “The quality and safety they deliver is simply outstanding, and the personalized birthing experience makes all the difference to new moms and families.”

The Women’s Choice Award focuses its research on hospitals that provide the highest quality patient experience, especially important for potential labor complications. The methodology for the Best Hospitals for Obstetrics combines national accreditations, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey results, and hospital outcome scores with primary research about women’s health care preferences.

The America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics gives consideration to the following specific criteria (all are not required of each hospital):

• The percentage of patients reporting through the HCAHPS survey that they would definitely recommend the hospital;

• Patient safety ranking based on 12 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ measures of infection and complication rates; and

•  Low rates of early elective deliveries (between 0-1%).