Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center Named Among Newsweek's Best U.S. Maternity Hospitals for 2026

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, thousands of families choose Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center to welcome their babies. Now, the hospital's Birth Center has earned national distinction for its care. Newsweek has named Shady Grove Medical Center to its list of America's Best Maternity Hospitals for 2026

Shady Grove Medical Center is the only hospital in Montgomery County and one of just 10 hospitals in Maryland to earn a place on the list. Newsweek and research firm Statista looked at hospital quality data, patient experience scores and survey data from medical professionals for its rankings.

The designation reflects Shady Grove Medical Center's commitment to delivering safe, compassionate, high-quality care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum journey.

"Choosing where to welcome your baby is one of the most important decisions a family can make," said Joan Vincent, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Shady Grove Medical Center. "This honor reflects the extraordinary dedication of our physicians, nurses, neonatal specialists and support teams who care for thousands of families each year with compassion and clinical excellence. Whether a family is welcoming their first baby or growing their family, we're honored they choose to share that moment with us."

Shady Grove Medical Center provides comprehensive maternity care through every stage of pregnancy, birth and recovery. In addition to its birthing and postpartum units, the hospital provides a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, childbirth and parenting education classes, and comprehensive lactation support. Next door to the hospital, Shady Grove's Maternal Care Center ensures wide access to prenatal care in the community.

The hospital's maternity services include innovations like:

• Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean (ERAC) practices, including the use of the Joeyband®, which helps more families delivering by cesarean birth experience immediate skin-to-skin bonding in the operating room.
• CenteringPregnancy®, a group prenatal care model offered through the Maternal Care Center at Shady Grove Medical Center, that combines prenatal care, education and peer support.
• Maryland's only hospital-based Milk Depot, a partnership with The King's Daughters Milk Bank of Virginia that provides a safe, convenient way for nursing mothers to donate excess breast milk.
• An award-winning program that allows any family access to pasteurized donor breastmilk as a feeding option for their babies who are in the hospital.

The Newsweek distinction adds to Shady Grove Medical Center's growing list of quality achievements in the last year, including earning an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group.

Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center is the largest hospital in the Adventist HealthCare system and has earned national recognition for patient safety. Its comprehensive health services include award-winning heart and neurological care; a Birth Center, NICU and specialized children's units; a freestanding cancer center, and joint surgery programs that rank among the best in the U.S. Shady Grove Medical Center is also Maryland's second-largest provider of mental health services. More than 2,800 team members and 875 physicians help carry out its mission to extend God's care through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing.

Contact:
Tina Sheesley, 301-315-3330
[email protected] 

SOURCE Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center