CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs: labor and delivery in Council Bluffs, IA
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs is a hospital in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa that delivers babies. It handled 403 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 29% delivered by C-section (127 such births). That is above the Iowa rate of 24% and above the U.S. median of 26%.
- 29%First-birth C-section rate
- 403Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 497Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 5 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
800 Mercy Drive
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Pottawattamie County
Call (712) 328-5000 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 29% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 497 | 204 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 58 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications). Not counting transfusion-only cases: Middle 50%.
In Iowa, CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs has the 34th-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
- 62% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 63% 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
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs 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 Council Bluffs
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs | 0.2 | 29% | 761 | Yes |
| The Nebraska Medical Center | Omaha | 7.3 | 19% | 2,060 | Yes |
| CHI Health Bergan Mercy | Omaha | 10 | 24% | 2,922 | Yes |
| CHI Health Immanuel | Omaha | 10 | 20% | 625 | Yes |
| The Nebraska Methodist Hospital | Omaha | 11 | 24% | 4,751 | Yes |
| CHI Health Lakeside | Omaha | 18 | 28% | 928 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Council Bluffs
All hospitals in Council Bluffs · Pottawattamie County · All Iowa hospitals