Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion: labor and delivery in Clarion, IA
Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion is a hospital in Clarion, Wright County, Iowa that delivers babies. It handled 699 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 33% delivered by C-section (229 such births). That is above the Iowa rate of 24% and above the U.S. median of 26%.
- 33%First-birth C-section rate
- 699Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 668Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 4 of 5Patient survey stars
Birth services at Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion
- Private labor and delivery rooms
- Epidural and pain relief options
- Water birth options
- Lactation consultants
- Skin-to-skin time after birth
- Rooming-in with your baby
- Childbirth and parenting classes
- Birth center tours
- High-risk pregnancy and maternal-fetal medicine care
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
1316 South Main Street
Clarion, IA 50525
Wright County
Call (515) 532-2811 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Critical Access hospital
- Ownership: Government, Local
How Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 33% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 668 | 204 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 60 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications). Not counting transfusion-only cases: Middle 50%.
In Iowa, Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion has the 41st-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: 4 of 5 stars
- 81% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 80% 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
Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion 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 Clarion
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Regional Medical Center | Fort Dodge | 28 | 24% | 477 | Yes |
| Kossuth Regional Health Center | Algona | 34 | 26% | 113 | Yes |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City | 39 | 29% | 415 | Yes |
| Boone County Hospital | Boone | 47 | 22% | 140 | Yes |
| Mary Greeley Medical Center | Ames | 48 | 16% | 1,485 | Yes |
| Palo Alto County Hospital | Emmetsburg | 56 | – | 62 | – |
All hospitals in Clarion · Wright County · All Iowa hospitals