Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center has been recognized as a top performer by the Vizient Inc. 2025 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award.

According to a news release, New Hanover Regional Medical Center was ranked No. 4 out of 98 participating pediatric hospitals. 

The recognition is part of the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, which measures performance on the quality of patient care across six domains: safety, mortality, effectiveness, efficiency, patient centeredness and variation in care, the release stated.

“This honor recognizes the strong work of physicians and team members who care for our youngest patients and place their well-being at the center of everything they do,” said Laurie Whalin, president, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and acute care operations for the Novant Health Coastal Region, in the release. “This recognition affirms our commitment to bringing safe, high-quality care closer to home.” 

For nearly 20 years, the Novant Health Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital has offered medically advanced, personalized care for women and children in the Coastal Region, according to the release.

"From the level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the pediatric inpatient and intensive care units, patients receive coordinated care in a family-centered environment that offers private rooms, large family spaces, child life programs and other services to support healing and recovery," the release stated. "Surgical care options include general pediatric and thoracic surgery, maxillofacial surgery, cleft and craniofacial surgery and pediatric urology."

Michael Jaskolka, clinical physician executive for children's services for the Novant Health Coastal Region, stated in the release, “When a child has complex or urgent medical needs, families commit hours to researching their child’s needs and where to find the best care available. It is incredibly meaningful to lessen some of that worry for these families by offering safe, high-quality care in their communities.” 

In recent years, Novant Health has expanded access to high-quality pediatric specialty care in the Coastal Region through a partnership with UNC, according to the release. In addition to serving patients through the Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital and Nunnelee Pediatric Multispecialty Care in Wilmington, Novant Health continues to add access points for pediatric specialty care throughout the Coastal Region, the release stated.

The Vizient Quality and Accountability Study uses data from the Vizient Clinical Data Base and includes performance data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers Systems (HCAHPS) survey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network. According to the release, pediatric hospitals included in the Vizient rankings admitted at least 250 newborns with complex or life-threatening conditions and performed at least 50 major surgeries on newborns over the study year, which is based on clinical data from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.