Essentia Health St Mary's Medical Center: labor and delivery in Duluth, MN
Essentia Health St Mary's Medical Center is a hospital in Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota that delivers babies. It handled 1,624 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 23% delivered by C-section (514 such births). That is below the Minnesota rate of 27% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 23%First-birth C-section rate
- 1,624Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 380Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 4 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
402 East Second Street
Duluth, MN 55805
St. Louis County
Call (218) 786-3574 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Essentia Health St Mary'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 | 380 | 271 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 87 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%. Not counting transfusion-only cases: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Minnesota, Essentia Health St Mary'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: 3 of 5 stars
- 74% 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
Essentia Health St Mary'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 Duluth
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentia Health Duluth | Duluth | 0.1 | – | – | Yes |
| St Lukes Hospital | Duluth | 0.4 | 37% | 480 | Yes |
| Essentia Health Moose Lake | Moose Lake | 40 | – | 63 | Yes |
| Essentia Health Virginia | Virginia | 55 | 22% | 171 | Yes |
| Range Regional Health Services | Hibbing | 58 | 29% | 208 | Yes |
| Tamarack Health Ashland Medical Center | Ashland | 59 | 17% | 237 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Duluth
More in St. Louis County
- Range Regional Health Services (Hibbing)
- Essentia Health Virginia (Virginia)
All hospitals in Duluth · St. Louis County · All Minnesota hospitals