OBHG hospital partner has one of the lowest C-section rates in the U.S.

Medically unnecessary C-sections are a thing of the past. Hospitals across the U.S. are clamping down on the number of C-sections they perform to reach the national target of 23.9 percent by year 2020. At a current national average of 25.8 percent, there's still work to be done. Many studies explore the C-section rate and trends, but a recent article published by Huffington Post uncovers an unexpected factor that can determine if an expectant mother will have a C-section.

Many hospitals around the country are ahead of the curve though. With a rate of 13 percent, OBHG partner Bakersfield's Dignity Health Memorial Hospital is among the top five hospitals in the U.S. with the lowest number of C-sections for first-time mothers. Bakersfield Memorial Hospital said it credits its partnership with Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) for their low C-section rate. Dr. Jane van Dis, MD, FACOG, is an Ob Hospitalist and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. She is a Board Certified OB/GYN and OBHG's Medical Director for Business Development. In a recent op-ed, Dr. van Dis discusses some challenges that Bakersfield Memorial Hospital had to overcome to reach its 13 percent C-section rate. She also provides three concrete ways for hospital leadership to consider in their effort to reduce C-sections and limit their organization's risk.