NEWPORT BEACH/IRVINE, Calif. [March 28, 2025] — Hoag is proud to announce its recent recognition by the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP).
Hoag Hospital Newport Beach has been redesignated as a SOAP Center of Excellence (COE), following its initial designation in 2020, and Hoag Hospital Irvine has achieved its first-time designation as a SOAP COE. This marks a significant milestone, as Hoag now holds SOAP COE status at its two acute-care hospitals, reinforcing its leadership in obstetric anesthesia care.
The SOAP Center of Excellence designation is awarded to institutions that demonstrate exceptional obstetric anesthesia care, setting a benchmark for expected care standards nationally. The rigorous criteria for this designation encompass various domains, including:
- personnel and staffing;
- equipment, protocols, and policies;
- simulation and team training;
- obstetric emergency management;
- cesarean delivery and labor analgesia care;
- recommendations and guidelines implementation; and
- quality assurance and patient follow-up systems.
“Achieving SOAP Center of Excellence designations for both our Newport Beach and Irvine hospitals is an external validation of Hoag’s commitment to providing exemplary obstetrical anesthesia care to our patients,” said Dr. Kristin Smith, MD, OB Anesthesia Director at Hoag. “This accomplishment reflects the dedication and collaborative efforts of our multidisciplinary team that includes obstetricians, perinatologists, neonatologists, peripartum nurses and midwives at the Women’s Health Institute. We are honored to partner with them to meet and exceed the rigorous standards set forth by SOAP.”
The pathway to SOAP COE designation is rigorous and transparent. Three reviewers drawn from the SOAP COE committee independently evaluate each certification, scoring each of the criteria for COE designation as well as providing comments regarding areas for improvement.
These reviews are subsequently discussed by the full SOAP COE subcommittee. Centers deemed to have deficiencies in key COE criteria are allowed to clarify their practices and/or provide plans for immediate improvements. All clarifications are further discussed, and final decisions are made, reaching a consensus within the SOAP COE subcommittee.
Learn more about the Hoag Women’s Health Institute.
ABOUT HOAG
Hoag is a nonprofit, regional health care delivery system in Orange County, California. Delivering world-class, comprehensive, personalized care, Hoag consists of 1,800 top physicians, 17 urgent care facilities, 11 health & wellness centers, and two award-winning hospitals. Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes seven institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, digestive health, heart and vascular, neurosciences, spine, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and four ambulatory surgical centers. Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County by U.S. News & World Report and the only OC hospital ranked in the Top 10 in California, as well as a designated Magnet® with Distinction hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). For more information, visit hoag.org.
