Catawba Valley Medical Center: labor and delivery in Hickory, NC
Catawba Valley Medical Center is a hospital in Hickory, Catawba County, North Carolina that delivers babies. It handled 1,306 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 33% delivered by C-section (254 such births). That is above the North Carolina rate of 25% and above the U.S. median of 26%.
- 33%First-birth C-section rate
- 1,306Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 260Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 4 of 5Patient survey stars
- 2 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
810 Fairgrove Church Rd
Hickory, NC 28602
Catawba County
Call (828) 326-3809 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Other
How Catawba Valley Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 33% | 25% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 260 | 289 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 52 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%. Not counting transfusion-only cases: Top 25% (fewest complications).
In North Carolina, Catawba Valley Medical Center has the 66th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 71 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: 4 of 5 stars
- 75% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 76% 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
Catawba Valley 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 Hickory
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frye Regional Medical Center | Hickory | 4.4 | 25% | 318 | Yes |
| Atrium Health Lincoln | Lincolnton | 16 | 31% | 827 | Yes |
| Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospitals, Inc. | Morganton | 22 | 22% | 1,017 | Yes |
| Iredell Memorial Hospital Inc. | Statesville | 23 | 29% | 589 | Yes |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital | Mooresville | 26 | – | – | Yes |
| Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center | Huntersville | 31 | 27% | 1,875 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Hickory
All hospitals in Hickory · Catawba County · All North Carolina hospitals