Halle Hospital Earns 13th Elite Certification for Maternity Excellence

Top-Level Perinatal Care Ensures Maximum Safety for Mother and Child

The exceptionally high standard of specialized medical care surrounding pregnancy and childbirth is a crucial factor in ensuring the utmost safety for both mother and baby. For this reason, the obstetrics and neonatology experts at St. Elisabeth and St. Barbara Hospital in Halle (Saale) regularly undergo voluntary reviews of all their structural and quality standards. The hospital's perinatal center has now been recertified under the periZert® standard for the 13th time.

Complications during childbirth can have serious consequences for the health of mother and child. As a Level 1 Perinatal Center—the highest level of care—the specialized facility at St. Elisabeth and St. Barbara Hospital in Halle (Saale) stands out for its round-the-clock presence of qualified staff in the delivery room, postnatal ward, and pediatric units, as well as its close proximity between the labor ward, operating theaters, and neonatal intensive care unit. The center also provides intensive care and transport capabilities for premature and critically ill newborns.

The independent experts from periZert® were once again convinced by the hospital's adherence to its rigorous standards during the latest voluntary review. Back in 2012, St. Elisabeth and St. Barbara became home to Germany's first non-university-affiliated—and only the third nationwide—perinatal center to meet these demanding criteria.

Dr. Sven Seeger, Head of Obstetrics, and Dr. Klaus Oettel, Head of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, highlight the hospital's midwife-led birthing unit, first established in Saxony-Anhalt in 2019 and now recertified for the second time. The concept allows expectant mothers to experience a particularly natural and self-determined birth under the direct care of midwives, with medical intervention only when necessary. Additionally, the center has been awarded the "familyfriendly+" designation, recognizing its expertise in promoting breastfeeding and mother-child bonding.

Hospital Managing Director Jan Jakobitz congratulated the medical teams on their achievement: "We are delighted that, despite the unfortunate decline in birth rates across Germany, families continue to place such trust in our hospital. This recertification reaffirms our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of care in this field."

Photo: St. Elisabeth and St. Barbara Hospital / Andrea Bergert