Broadlawns Medical Center: labor and delivery in Des Moines, IA
Broadlawns Medical Center is a hospital in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa that delivers babies. It handled 494 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 36% delivered by C-section (197 such births). That is above the Iowa rate of 24% and above the U.S. median of 26%.
- 36%First-birth C-section rate
- 494Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 762Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 3 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Broadlawns Medical Center
- Newborn care: Level II special care nursery
- Private labor and delivery rooms
- Midwifery care
- Lactation consultants
- Childbirth and parenting classes
- Birth center tours
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
1801 Hickman Road
Des Moines, IA 50314
Polk County
Call (515) 282-2200 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Government, Local
How Broadlawns Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 36% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 762 | 204 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 59 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications). Not counting transfusion-only cases: Middle 50%.
In Iowa, Broadlawns Medical Center has the 42nd-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 43 hospitals that report one.
The first-birth C-section rate counts first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby. Complication rates are adjusted for patient risk. Our data explains each number.
What patients say
- Patient survey summary: 3 of 5 stars
- 75% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 74% of patients rated this hospital 9 or 10 out of 10
Survey results cover all patients at the hospital, not only maternity patients.
Birthing-Friendly designation
Broadlawns Medical Center holds the federal Birthing-Friendly designation. Hospitals earn it by taking part in a perinatal quality collaborative and following maternal safety practices.
Other hospitals that deliver babies near Des Moines
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines | 1.5 | 29% | 1,952 | Yes |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist | Des Moines | 1.8 | 25% | 5,083 | Yes |
| Mary Greeley Medical Center | Ames | 29 | 16% | 1,485 | Yes |
| Boone County Hospital | Boone | 33 | 22% | 140 | Yes |
| Pella Regional Health Center | Pella | 41 | 26% | 615 | – |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | Grinnell | 48 | 23% | 318 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Des Moines
All hospitals in Des Moines · Polk County · All Iowa hospitals