The Joint Commission names UK HealthCare a Level IV maternal care verified facility
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 28, 2025) – The Joint Commission’s Maternal Levels of Care (MLC) Verification program, offered in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), has named UK HealthCare as a Level IV maternal care verified facility.
As a Level IV facility, UK HealthCare provides expert and compassionate care for critically ill and high-risk maternity patients.
The MLC Verification program provides an objective assessment of a facility’s capabilities and verifies that a hospital has the expertise, equipment and resources in place for a patient’s specific needs and risk level. As the top hospital in Kentucky, UK HealthCare provides the highest level of maternity care and receives patients from other hospitals who have high-risk pregnancies or experience complications during labor. UK HealthCare underwent a comprehensive on-site review in early 2025 to verify the level of care provided.
“We are honored to be recognized by TJC as the first and only Level IV maternity hospital in Kentucky,” said Emily A. DeFranco, D.O., chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at UK HealthCare. “This affirms our expertise and commitment to caring for patients with the most complex medical conditions during pregnancy, labor and postpartum. This achievement reflects the dedication, expertise and compassion of our physicians, nurses and staff who work tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcomes for mothers and babies.”
As part of the verification process, administrators, providers and staff of UK HealthCare’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology reaffirmed existing protocols in place to ensure seamless communication between the labor & delivery unit, the emergency department, intensive care, the blood bank and other areas of critical care. Further steps were taken to ensure 24-hour anesthesiology coverage by an anesthesiologist with specialized training in caring for obstetric patients.
“The Joint Commission commends UK HealthCare for being named a Level IV maternal care verified facility and for its efforts to standardize maternal care and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality,” says Ken Grubbs, D.N.P., executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer for The Joint Commission. “The Maternal Levels of Care Verification program will help UK HealthCare strengthen regionalized care for mothers and babies in its community.”
The MLC Verification program was developed using ACOG’s Levels of Maternal Care Obstetric Care Consensus (OCC) clinical guidance, which includes comprehensive uniform definitions, a standardized description of maternity facility capabilities and personnel, and a framework for integrated systems that address maternal health needs. To learn more, visit The Joint Commission website.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.