Salinas, Calif. – November 1, 2016 – Natividad Medical Center (NMC) was named one of 104 hospitals in California that has met the Healthy People 2020 goal of reducing the number of C-sections for low risk, first-birth deliveries to 23.9 percent or less. NMC’s C-section rate is even lower at 19.9 percent. Healthy People 2020 is an agenda set forth by the federal government for improving the nation’s health and seeks to accomplish numerous health-related benchmarks by the year 2020.

Smart Care California (SCC), a multi-stakeholder work group co-chaired by CalPERS, the California Department of Health Care Services and Covered California, has focused on reducing the number of unnecessary C-sections at hospitals across the state, urging every hospital to meet the Health People 2020 goal. As part of its efforts, SCC has honored 104 hospitals across California for achieving the Healthy People 2020 goal three years early.

“We’re honored to be recognized by Smart Care California for meeting federal government goals for our outstanding quality of maternal child health care,” said Peter Chandler, MD, obstetrics and gynecology service director at NMC. “Reducing the rates of C-section deliveries not only benefits the health of mothers and babies, but it also leads to healthier communities.”

As the first hospital in the county that performs vaginal births after C-sections, NMC has made maternity care a priority at the hospital for years and is passionate about bringing awareness to birth options available to expectant mothers. C-sections can pose serious risks to mothers and babies. Babies delivered via C-section have higher rates of infection, respiratory complications, neonatal intensive care stays and lower breastfeeding rates. Mothers are more likely to hemorrhage, require transfusions, and contract infections and blood clots.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley held a press conference on October 26, 2016 honoring the 104 hospitals that met the goal three years early. Natividad Medical Center will receive a certificate acknowledging the achievement in November.

Natividad Medical Center is a Baby-Friendly® birth facility, has been selected as a Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care by Anthem Blue Cross, and selected as one of 33 High Performing Hospitals in Maternity Care in California by the California Health Care Foundation.

About Natividad Medical Center (NMC)
Owned and operated by Monterey County, NMC is a 172-bed, acute-care hospital providing health care services to county residents for more than 131 years. Based in Salinas, California, NMC offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 38,000 patient days of care each year and has more than 52,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is a Level II Trauma Center providing the immediate availability of specialized personnel, equipment and services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. NMC’s Trauma Center is a vital community service locally that saves lives and eliminates the need to fly critically injured patients to a distant trauma center. NMC is ranked No. 1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County and is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 300 physicians, NMC’s mission is to continually monitor and improve the health of the people, including the vulnerable, in Monterey County through coordinated, affordable high-quality health care. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.

About Healthy People 2020
Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Healthy People 2020 continues in this tradition with the launch on December 2, 2010 of its ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year agenda for improving the Nation’s health. Healthy People 2020 is the result of a multiyear process that reflects input from a diverse group of individuals and organizations.