Myrtue Medical Center: labor and delivery in Harlan, IA
Myrtue Medical Center is a hospital in Harlan, Shelby County, Iowa that delivers babies. It handled 94 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 8% delivered by C-section (25 such births). That is below the Iowa rate of 24% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 8%First-birth C-section rate
- 94Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 827Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
1213 Garfield Avenue
Harlan, IA 51537
Shelby County
Call (712) 755-5161 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Critical Access hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Other
How Myrtue Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 8% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 827 | 204 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 63 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications). Not counting transfusion-only cases: Middle 50%.
In Iowa, Myrtue Medical Center has the 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
- 80% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 87% 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
Myrtue 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 Harlan
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County Memorial Hospital | Atlantic | 24 | 21% | 131 | Yes |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home | Carroll | 37 | 13% | 400 | Yes |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs | 37 | 29% | 761 | Yes |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs | 37 | 29% | 403 | Yes |
| CHI Health Immanuel | Omaha | 43 | 20% | 625 | Yes |
| Memorial Community Hospital & Health System | Blair | 43 | – | 63 | Yes |
All hospitals in Harlan · Shelby County · All Iowa hospitals