Hospitals usually like to keep the public in the dark about bad outcomes, complications, or problems that occur. Texas law helps keep this information hidden by shielding many documents from disclosure through the hospital committee, peer review, and credentialing privileges.
That’s why I was interested to learn that USA Today compiled some fascinating, insightful data for labor, delivery, and childbirth complications in 13 states, including Texas. As a Houston, Texas medical malpractice, I’ve handled many cases involving moms, babies, and families who were harmed by brain injuries, other serious injuries, and even wrongful death because of poor prenatal, labor, deliver, and birth care.
I’ve pulled out the data from the USA Today research for 18 Houston hospitals. You can use information below to compare the number of deliveries/births at each hospital, as well as severe maternal morbidity rates (the rate of serious injuries to mothers), episiotomy rates (an episiotomy is a surgical cut at the opening of the vagina, which is sometimes down to expedite delivery and/or prevent tearing), and C-Section rates.
You can also compare the performance at these hospitals to the average rate for Texas hospitals. For each of these rates, the lower the number, the better.
CHI St. Luke’s Health The Vintage Hospital
20171 Chasewood Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77070
Total births: 3,558
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 2.6% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.9% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 2.7% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 8.5%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 17.9%
Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center
10655 Steepletop Drive, Houston, Texas 77065
Total births: 12,925
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 2.2% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 3.3% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 2.6% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 16.3%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 9.9%
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital
4401 Garth Road, Baytown, Texas 77521
Total births: 5,746
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 2.8% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 3.3% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 3.0% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 13.5%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 22.9%
Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital
18300 Houston Methodist Drive, Nassau Bay, Texas 77058
Total births: 1,810
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.1% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: unavailable
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: unavailable
Episiotomy rate: 29.1%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 21.0%
Houston Methodist Hospital
6565 Fannin St., Houston, Texas 77030
Total births: 6,528
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.7% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.5% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 2.0% (same as the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 8.9%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 24.9%
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
16655 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Total births: 11,640
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.7% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.1% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 2.2% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 16.7%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 24.8%
Houston Methodist West Hospital
18500 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77094
Total births: 9,266
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.4% (same as the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.1% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.5% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 15.4%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 21.9%
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
8220 State Highway 249, Houston, Texas 77070
Total births: 12,333
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.9% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.8% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 2.2% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 11.9%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 22.8%
Houston Northwest Medical Center (Northwest Houston Hospital HCA Houston Northwest)
710 Cypress Creek Parkway, Houston, Texas 77090
Total births: 17,062
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.7% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.2% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.8% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 18.2%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 16.6%
Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center
6411 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77030
Total births: 19,988
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 3.0% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 3.4% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 3.3% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 7.5%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 26.4%
Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital
1635 North Loop West, Houston, Texas 77008
Total births: 8,339
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 0.9% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 1.0% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 0.9% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 6.9%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 16.6%
Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center
921 Gessner Road, Houston, Texas 77024
Total births: 14,762
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.3% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 1.4% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.8% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 8.8%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 23.0%
Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital
11800 Astoria Blvd., Houston, Texas 77089
Total births: 4,786
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.5% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.8% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.8% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 10.2%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 22.5%
Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital
7600 Beechnut St., Houston, Texas 77074
Total births: 13,818
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.2% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 1.7% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.3% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 12.9%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 16.7%
St. Joseph Medical Center
1401 St. Joseph Parkway, Houston, Texas 77002
Total births: 17,949
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.6% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 2.3% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.5% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 15.5%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 15.7%
Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women
6651 Main St., Houston, Texas 77030
Total births: 23,012
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 3.3% (worse than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 4.7% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 4.5% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 5.4%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 23.7%
West Houston Medical Center
12141 Richmond Ave., Houston, Texas 77082
Total births: 11,839
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.1% (betterthan the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 1.3% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.2% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 17.9%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 22.3%
Woman’s Hospital of Texas
7600 Fannin St., Houston, Texas 77054
Total births: 42,548
Severe maternal morbidity rate: 1.1% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for black mothers: 1.7% (better than the rate for Texas)
Severe maternal morbidity rate for low income mothers: 1.6% (better than the rate for Texas)
Episiotomy rate: 13.6%
Cesarean rate (C-Section): 31.6%
