Heywood Hospital: labor and delivery in Gardner, MA
Heywood Hospital is a hospital in Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts that delivers babies. It handled 337 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 24% delivered by C-section (126 such births). That is below the Massachusetts rate of 28% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 24%First-birth C-section rate
- 337Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 392Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 2 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Heywood Hospital
- Newborn care: NICU on site
- Doula support
- Epidural and pain relief options
- VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) support
- Birth center tours
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
242 Green Street
Gardner, MA 01440
Worcester County
Call (978) 632-3420 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Heywood Hospital compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 24% | 28% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 392 | 364 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 103 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%. Not counting transfusion-only cases: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Massachusetts, Heywood Hospital has the 9th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 36 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
- 69% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 69% 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
Heywood Hospital 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 Gardner
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umass Memorial Medical Center/University Campus | Worcester | 16 | 25% | 5,010 | Yes |
| Monadnock Community Hospital | Peterborough | 20 | – | 115 | – |
| St Vincent Hospital | Worcester | 24 | – | 1,544 | Yes |
| St Joseph Hospital | Nashua | 28 | 32% | 584 | Yes |
| Southern NH Medical Center | Nashua | 29 | 32% | 989 | Yes |
| Cheshire Medical Center | Keene | 29 | 29% | 401 | Yes |
More in Worcester County
- Milford Regional Medical Center (Milford)
- St Vincent Hospital (Worcester)
- Umass Memorial Medical Center/University Campus (Worcester)
All hospitals in Gardner · Worcester County · All Massachusetts hospitals