Your Care at
Christ Hospital
Location
2139 Auburn Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45219
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Honest information to help you choose and prepare
How to use this guide
See what this hospital does well and how they are improving care.
Hospital Snapshot
Infant Care
How this hospital supports mamas and babies
- Tracks infant outcomes by race and ethnicity to identify gaps and improve newborn care
- Tracks and supports families with skin-to-skin care
- Provides excellent, daily breastfeeding support, earning a 4-Star Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies designation
- Teaches families about creating safe sleeping spaces and helps them get a crib if they need on
What this means for you
Maternal Care
How this hospital supports mamas and babies
- More mamas who deliver here start prenatal care early compared to the regional average
- Helps with food, housing, transportation, safety, and emotional support
- Helps mamas quit smoking with tobacco treatment specialists and nicotine replacement options (gum, lozenges, patches, and tablets)
- Offers free classes to help mamas prepare for labor, birth, and caring for their baby
- Offers postpartum family planning and counseling before you go home
- Uses safety checks during labor to act quickly if complications appear
- Tracks maternal outcomes by race and ethnicity and reviews them
- Welcomes community doulas as part of the care team during labor and birth
- Offers and tracks recovery and follow-up support after mamas give birth to help them heal
What this means for you
Community Care
How this hospital supports mamas and babies
- Connects mamas to community resources by zip code for food, housing, transportation, safety, emotional well-being, and baby supplies
- Works with a wide network of partners to connect families to resources: SNAP/WIC, Queens Village, Rosemary’s Babies, Every Child Succeeds, Women Helping Women, among others
- Offers help with transportation when needed through social work support, Lyft vouchers, and Medicaid
- Partners with community-led groups like Queens Village to center Black mamas’ voices in care and advocacy
What this means for you
Hospital Commitment
How this hospital supports mamas and babies
- Reviews maternal outcomes by race and ethnicity to find gaps in care and improve care
- Looks at patient feedback and satisfaction to understand what’s working and what needs to change
- Takes part in statewide and national safety programs, including the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative and the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health
- Works with the Queens Village Hospital Advisory Board to review progress and set priorities
- Uses patient feedback to make meaningful changes like daily quiet time for rest and bonding and adding a dedicated patient advocate
- Shares Mama Certified information throughout the hospital to reinforce its commitment to better care
- Supports staff through wellness programs and a fully staffed Labor & Delivery team
What this means for you
Commitment to Black Mamas and Babies
Mama Certified requires hospitals to listen to and learn from Black mamas and community partners. At Christ Hospital, that happens through the Queens Village Hospital Advisory Board. This group brings mamas, community leaders, and hospital staff together to review experiences and guide improvements in birth care.
Who leads this work:
Our commitment:
Community partnership
Community partnership
Black mamas and community partners help guide how care improves at this hospital through the Queens Village Hospital Advisory Board (QVHAB). The QVHAB brings together Black mamas, community partners, and Christ Hospital leaders to improve birth care.
They share real experiences, review where care can be better, and guide changes that support safer, more respectful births for Black families. Their feedback helps shape hospital practices, birth plans, and staff training so care reflects what Black mamas say they need.
Co-creation in action
Co-creation in action
Because of the partnership with the Queens Village Hospital Advisory Board (QVHAB), Christ Hospital:
- Works to improve pain management, communication, and respectful care so mamas feel heard, supported, and cared for throughout birth.
- Centers mamas’ voices by using birthing experience surveys to guide care improvements that reflect their real experiences and needs.
- Gives mamas more uninterrupted time for rest, recovery, and bonding with their babies.
How this hospital listens to families
How this hospital listens to families
- Patient surveys and feedback
- Follow-up calls or visits after care
- Review of patient concerns
- Input from the community advisory board
- Mama Certified experience study
- Changes made based on family feedback
- Mamas are encouraged to speak up during care
What this means for you
This partnership ensures that Black mamas play an active role in shaping how care improves. Your experiences help set priorities, guide staff training, and influence the policies and practices that support safer births.
It also means the hospital is held accountable through regular reviews, shared data, and ongoing collaboration, leading to care that is safer and more responsive to the needs of every mama and baby.
Question You Can Ask
Staff Training and Equity
- Dedicated Team Member Health and Wellbeing Department
- Provides personal health surveys, biometric screenings, and customized wellness guides
- Offers fitness support, biometric screening, and nutrition guidance, as well as an annual health fair
- Partners with LifeMatters, The Linder Center of HOPE and Pastoral Care Services, and others to help staff with immediate needs
Your Pregnancy Journey at Christ Hospital
Before Delivery
Getting Prenatal Care Early (Before 13 Weeks)
Christ Hospital works to help mamas start care early and get support with scheduling, access, and questions along the way.
Starting Prenatal Care Early
How support works here
- Doulas are allowed through all stages, including triage and postpartum
- Staff are trained to work with doulas
- Support people are allowed, including in the operating room unless there is an emergency
How they help you start care sooner
- They ask mamas about what is delaying their care
- They train staff to recognize when mamas need support and connect them to help right away
- They work on access issues that make appointments easier to attend
Where support is growing
- Partnerships with Every Child Succeeds, WIC, and Women Helping Women
- More care locations
- Women’s Health Navigators who help with scheduling, insurance questions, and care guidance
Why this matters
What this means for you
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
During Your Birth
Your voice, your choices, and your support team (including your doula) should be part of your care. This section walks you through what usually happens during birth and how to ask for the care you deserve.
Every birth is unique, so your experience may look a little different from what’s shown here.
Your Care Team, Rights, and Support People
Your care team includes nurses, providers, and the people you choose to support you. This hospital uses a team-based approach so you can be part of decisions about your care.
Your Rights During Care
Know Your Rights
Doulas and Support People
Staff are trained to work with doulas as part of your care team so you have emotional and physical support throughout your birth.
What this means for you
A doula provides emotional and physical support during labor and birth. A doula is not a medical provider.
How support works here
- Doulas are allowed through all stages, including triage and postpartum
- Staff are trained to work with doulas
- Support people are allowed, including in the operating room unless there is an emergency
Can my doula be with me the whole time?
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Your Birth Choices and Support
C-sections
How support works here
- Tracks C-section rates for first-time, low-risk mamas
- Works to safely lower unnecessary C-sections
- Plans to review C-section data by race
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Birth Safety
What this hospital focuses on
- Preventing dangerous bleeding
- Watching for high blood pressure
- Using safer labor and C-section protocols
- Tracking serious maternal complications
- Participating in OPQC and other state safety programs
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Planned Early Delivery (37–39 Weeks)
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Being Heard During Your Stay
What this hospital focuses on
- They ask for feedback through patient surveys
- They follow up with calls or visits after your stay
- Providers review any concerns you share
- A community advisory board lifts up the voices of Black mamas
- Through the Mama Certified birthing experience study, they hear directly from Black mamas and make care better where needed
What this means for you
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Caring For Your Baby
Feeding Your Baby
This hospital supports you whether you breastfeed, pump, or need another plan. Why? Because your first days with your baby should feel cared for, not rushed. This hospital will explain your choices, offer guidance and respect no matter what feeding looks like for you.
How this hospital helps you feed your baby
- Trained breastfeeding staff
- Prenatal classes
- Support group
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Skin-to-Skin and Bonding
How this hospital supports skin-to-skin care
- Make sure mamas and babies have skin-to-skin time
- Uses skin-to-skin care to support early feeding and bonding
- Helps babies adjust after delivery
Question You Can Ask
Will I be able to hold my baby?
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
If Your Baby Needs Extra Support
When a baby needs extra care
- Has a Level III NICU, which means they can care for babies who need more medical attention
- Regularly reviews outcomes to improve care
- Explains what’s happening and what to expect in clear, plain language
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Your Health & Going Home
Getting Ready to Go Home
Keeping you and your baby safe at home
Here’s how this hospital prepares you for going home
- Asks about food, housing, safety, emotional well-being, infant supplies, and transportation needs
- Connects families to local programs by zip code including Rosemary’s Babies, Women Helping Women, and SNAP/WIC
- Teaches safe sleep steps before you leave the hospital
- Helps families get a safe crib if they need one
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Your Healing After Birth
How this hospital helps you heal after giving birth
- Provides care instructions for your body and your baby
- Talks to you about warning signs you should watch out for
- Tells you who to call for help
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Support for Your Emotional Health
Feeling sad or overwhelmed does not mean you are weak. It means you need support. Because postpartum depression is common (and treatable), this hospital asks about mental health and follows up when concerns appear.
How this hospital supports your emotional health
- The hospital asks about your emotional health before you go home
- If these check-ins show you may need extra support, the hospital connects you with social workers and mental health resources including free virtual counseling and take home resources
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Planning Ahead
Family planning and birth control
- Offers family planning and counseling at the hospital
- Talks about birth control options with every mama before they go home
- Provides contraceptive counseling, prescriptions, long-acting and permanent birth control options so you can continue care after leaving the hospital
Question You Can Ask
See more sample questions on the Advocacy & Resources page (to be commented out for launch)
Have Questions or Concerns?
At Christ Hospital
This hospital has patient advocates, social workers, and care team members who can help if you have questions, concerns, or something doesn’t feel right.
At Mama Certified
We want to hear from you too. Whether you have questions about this guide, want to share your experience, or just need someone to listen, we’re here.
What it Means to Be Mama Certified
What Christ Hospital Earned
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This hospital is a Mama Certified Leader because they are:
- Honest and transparent about their results
- Support your whole life, not just your medical care
- Find and fix gaps in care that affect Black mamas
- Listen to Black mamas and community voices and use that feedback to improve
About the Data Behind This Guide
Data sources
Hospital-reported data
Update cycle
Updated annually
Limitations
This data reflects hospital-wide averages and may not capture individual experiences.