COVINGTON – The New Family Center at St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital has again achieved the Birth Ready+ designation from the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative, a program administered through the state Department of Health.
In addition to recognizing the health system’s consistent, thoughtful healthcare and quality improvement work, the Birth Ready+ designation also celebrates improved perinatal health outcomes, the result of implementing safe, equitable and dignified clinical practices to improve outcomes for all people who give birth in Louisiana.
“Achieving the Birth Ready+ designation again this year is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing excellent maternal and newborn care in our community,” said Cindy Ingram, assistant vice president of Women and Children’s Services at St. Tammany. “We believe that every mother deserves the highest quality of care, and we are dedicated to continually advancing our practices to ensure our new moms and newborns receive it. Our focus remains on fostering a supportive environment that prioritizes the well-being of families, and we look forward to further enhancing maternal and newborn care for the Northshore community.”
Hospitals receiving the Birth Ready designation do not pay for the honor. Rather, they go through a rigorous application and review process by the LaPQC focusing on five areas: participation in collaborative learning, health disparity and patient partnership, policies and procedures, structures and education, and outcome and process measures.
Since its founding in 1954 as St. Tammany Parish Hospital, more than 65,000 babies have been born at St. Tammany Health System.
In December 2024, Women’s Choice ranked the hospital among the top 1% in America for obstetrics. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked it among the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care for 2025, making it one of only 12 Louisiana hospitals – and the only one in St. Tammany Parish – included on the list.
Other distinctions that establish STHS as a center of excellence for mother-baby care include its Obstetric Emergency Department, Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Emergency Department, Level 2 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and a breast milk donor depot approved by the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana.
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About St. Tammany Health System
The heartbeat of its community, St. Tammany Health System cares for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork. It is nationally recognized for quality, safety and service excellence by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. The health system is home to 281-bed St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, three diagnostic centers and 12 medical clinics throughout western St. Tammany Parish. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS is AA- rated by Fitch and receives no tax funding. More at StTammany.health.