FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Downtown Fresno's Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) has been ranked as a high-performing hospital for maternity care, according to a U.S. News and World Report study. According to management at CRMC, this is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of the U.S. News' Best Hospital for Maternity Care annual study. CRMC earned a high-performing designation in recognition of maternity care as measured by factors such as severe unexpected newborn complication rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial and ethnic disparities. U.S. News' study says the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care helps parents make informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meet their family's needs. “These hospitals demonstrate significantly lower C-section rates and severe unexpected newborn complications compared to hospitals not recognized by U.S. News," Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News said. The study evaluated 817 hospitals from across the U.S. CRMC officials say only half of the hospitals evaluated for the study have been recognized as Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.