Essentia Health St Joseph's Medical Center: labor and delivery in Brainerd, MN
Essentia Health St Joseph's Medical Center is a hospital in Brainerd, Crow Wing County, Minnesota that delivers babies. It handled 370 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 23% delivered by C-section (140 such births). That is below the Minnesota rate of 27% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 23%First-birth C-section rate
- 370Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 181Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 4 of 5Patient survey stars
- 3 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
523 North 3rd Street
Brainerd, MN 56401
Crow Wing County
Call (218) 829-2861 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Essentia Health St Joseph's Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 23% | 27% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 181 | 271 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 64 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Top 25% (fewest complications). Not counting transfusion-only cases: Middle 50%.
In Minnesota, Essentia Health St Joseph's Medical Center has the 18th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 58 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
- 66% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 70% 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
Essentia Health St Joseph's 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 Brainerd
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyuna Regional Medical Center | Crosby | 15 | 23% | 270 | Yes |
| St Gabriels Hospital | Little Falls | 28 | 32% | 89 | Yes |
| Lakewood Health System | Staples | 29 | – | 100 | – |
| Centracare - Long Prairie Hospital | Long Prairie | 41 | – | 35 | Yes |
| Astera Health | Wadena | 45 | 10% | 154 | Yes |
| Welia Health | Mora | 51 | 24% | 194 | – |
More in Crow Wing County
- Cuyuna Regional Medical Center (Crosby)
All hospitals in Brainerd · Crow Wing County · All Minnesota hospitals