SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Barton Health recently earned top designations for their commitment to high-quality maternity care. The three accolades received include the Baby-Friendly designation from Baby-Friendly USA as well as U.S. News & World Report’s High Performer rating and Maternity Care Access Hospital designation. 

Of the 817 hospitals evaluated by U.S. News & World Report, Barton is one of only 75 hospitals to earn both the Maternity Access Hospital designation and a High Performer rating. This places Barton Health in the top ten percent of hospitals for maternity care.

“It is important to us that all our families feel supported and well cared for,” says Carla Adams, Barton Health’s Chief Nursing Officer. “These validations reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that everyone who delivers a baby here gets the information, support, and compassion needed to have the best, healthiest start possible.”

A Baby-Friendly birthing center is a prestigious, international designation. The certification process is conducted, reviewed, and certified by Baby-Friendly USA, and demonstrates that Barton Health adheres to the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.  These standards are built on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for optimal infant feeding support in the precious first days of a newborn’s life.

Barton Health joins a growing list of more than 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers throughout the world, 545 of which are in the United States. These facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every woman’s right to make the best decision for herself and her family.

Similarly, U.S. News & World Report ‘s Maternity Care Access Hospital designation and High Performer rating verifies Barton Health’s commitment to high-quality maternity care and patient safety. High Performer criteria is based on objective data for c-sections, unexpected outcomes, and exclusive breastfeeding outcomes.

For more information, parents-to-be can review the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and Overview of U.S. News 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care or learn more about Baby-Friendly USA at babyfriendlyusa.org.