Down East Community Hospital: labor and delivery in Machias, ME
Down East Community Hospital is a hospital in Machias, Washington County, Maine that delivers babies. It handled 93 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 16% delivered by C-section (31 such births). That is below the Maine rate of 25% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 16%First-birth C-section rate
- 93Deliveries in 2025
- 265Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 4 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
11 Hospital Drive
Machias, ME 04654
Washington County
Call (207) 255-3356 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Critical Access hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Down East Community Hospital compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 16% | 25% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 265 | 288 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 64 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%.
In Maine, Down East Community Hospital has the 2nd-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 15 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
- 64% 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.
Other hospitals that deliver babies near Machias
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Desert Island Hospital | Bar Harbor | 40 | – | – | Yes |
| Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital | Ellsworth | 46 | 18% | 309 | Yes |
| Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center | Bangor | 62 | 22% | 1,665 | Yes |
| Mainehealth Pen Bay Hospital | Rockport | 87 | 20% | 276 | Yes |
| Northern Light Mayo Hospital | Dover Foxcroft | 92 | 16% | 143 | Yes |
| Houlton Regional Hospital | Houlton | 105 | – | 28 | – |
All hospitals in Machias · Washington County · All Maine hospitals