Georgia doubles top maternity care hospitals, adds 5 to U.S. News list

Georgia more than doubled the number of hospitals recognized for maternity care in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.

U.S. News lists seven Georgia hospitals in its 2026 Best Hospitals Report for maternity care. The state only had two hospitals on the list for the 2025 report.

Jennifer Winston, a health data scientist, spoke with Georgia Public Broadcasting and said the hospitals provide critical care for communities that might not have access to other avenues for maternity care.

“So, they’re really the last bastion against their community becoming a maternity care desert,” she said.

However, the state still ranks 45th for preterm birth with a rate near 12% and received an F grade from the March of Dimes’ 2025 Report Card.

“Behind every data point is a family, and in Georgia, we’re working every day to make sure they aren’t navigating this journey alone,” said Tamara Mason, director maternal and child health collective impact for the March of Dimes Georgia, in a news release. “We’re meeting families where they are, in their communities, their homes, and their care settings, to make it easier for moms to get the support and resources they need for a healthy pregnancy and a strong start for their babies.”

The state’s seven best hospitals are:

• Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, Rome
• Atrium Health Navicent-Baldwin, Milledgeville
• Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville
• Northeast Georgia Medical Center Habersham, Demorest
• Northside Hospital Cherokee, Canton
• Northside Hospital Gwinnett, Lawrenceville
• Tanner Medical Center-Villa Rica, Villa Rica