Twin Cities Community Hospital Reports the Lowest C-section Rate on the Central Coast – and One of the Lowest Rates in the State

TEMPLETON, Calif. – October 31, 2016 – Twin Cities Community Hospital has the lowest Cesarean-section rate of any hospital on the Central Coast and one of the lowest rates in the state, according to recently released statewide data. Twin Cities also was the only hospital in California to perform zero episiotomies in 2015.

Twin Cities was among the honor roll of 104 California hospitals recognized on Oct. 26 by California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley for meeting or exceeding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2020 goal for C-section rates three years early.

The maternal performance data reported by Smart Care California (SCC) showed that Twin Cities’ 2015 C-section rate among low-risk, first-time mothers – known as the NTSV Cesarean birth rate – was 16.4 percent, which earned the hospital a “superior” rating from SCC. Twin Cities was one of only 17 hospitals in California to receive this rating. The hospital’s NTSV C-section rate was the eighth-lowest in the state.

While potentially life-saving in certain circumstances, unnecessary C-sections can pose serious health risks for babies and mothers, including higher infection rates, blood clots and heavy blood loss for mothers and higher infection rates and respiratory complications for babies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2010 report, “Healthy People,” which set 10-year goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention for the nation, established a 2020 benchmark of 23.9 percent for NTSV C-sections. The national average is currently 27.3 percent.

Twin Cities’ zero episiotomy rate also earned it a “superior” rating, making it one of only 13 California hospitals in this category. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the National Quality Forum have both issued recommendations against the routine use of episiotomies, which can cause increased post-partum pain and discomfort. And the percentage of mothers at Twin Cities who breastfed their babies in 2015 – 82.3 percent – was rated “above average.”

“Since being recognized as a Baby-Friendly birth facility in 2015, our entire birth center team works collaboratively to provide care that honors each family’s preferences,” said Joan Fonda, the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer. “We encourage skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in, which allows families to bond early and improves a baby’s ability to breastfeed.”

SCC is a coalition of public and private health care purchasers, including CalPERS, Covered California, Medi-Cal and the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH), that collectively cover more than 16 million people statewide — or 40 percent of all Californians. The group is committed to reducing the number of unnecessary C-sections at hospitals across the state. The Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) is working collaboratively with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) to help all hospitals meet the Healthy People 2020 goal within the next three years. SCC’s 2016 Hospital C-section Honor Roll can be viewed at http://www.iha.org/sites/default/files/files/page/hospital_award_winners_vfinal.pdf

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About Twin Cities Community Hospital

Twin Cities Community Hospital, a 122-bed acute care hospital, has been caring for the communities of Northern San Luis Obispo County for nearly forty years. With a medical staff of more than 200 physicians and 400 caregivers and support staff, the hospital specializes in emergency care, obstetrics, orthopedics and a broad array of medical, surgical and outpatient services. 

Twin Cities Community Hospital is recognized as a 2014 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission for attaining and sustaining excellence in heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, venous thromboembolism (VTE) and stroke. The hospital has also earned the top grade from The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score, receiving consecutive “A” ratings since the scores were first released in 2012.

Twin Cities Community Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® with distinction for its knee replacement program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and safety in disease-specific care. In addition, the hospital is recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery. This specialty care recognition identifies healthcare facilities with proven expertise in delivering specialty care. 

In 2015, Baby-Friendly USA designated Twin Cities Community Hospital as an internationally recognized Baby-Friendly birth facility. This achievement means the hospital is using some of the most effective methods known to help moms succeed at breastfeeding.

For more information, visit www.TwinCitiesHospital.com or like us on Facebook.