Northern Louisiana Medical Center: labor and delivery in Ruston, LA
Northern Louisiana Medical Center is a hospital in Ruston, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana that delivers babies. It handled 421 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 46% delivered by C-section (123 such births). That is above the Louisiana rate of 28% and above the U.S. median of 26%.
- 46%First-birth C-section rate
- 421Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 492Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 1 of 5Patient survey stars
- 2 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Northern Louisiana Medical Center
- Newborn care: Level I newborn nursery
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
401 East Vaughn Avenue
Ruston, LA 71270
Lincoln Parish
Call (318) 254-2100 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: For-profit
How Northern Louisiana Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Louisiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 46% | 28% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 492 | 336 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 50 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications). Not counting transfusion-only cases: Top 25% (fewest complications).
In Louisiana, Northern Louisiana Medical Center has the 37th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 38 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: 1 of 5 stars
- 40% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 42% 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
Northern Louisiana 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 Ruston
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fmol Health St Francis | Monroe | 30 | 28% | 2,068 | Yes |
| Ochsner LSU Health Monroe | Monroe | 31 | 30% | 727 | Yes |
| Minden Medical Center | Minden | 39 | 1% | 395 | Yes |
| Morehouse General Hospital | Bastrop | 45 | 97% | 194 | Yes |
| South Arkansas Regional Hospital LLC | El Dorado | 49 | 32% | 601 | Yes |
| Natchitoches Regional Medical Center | Natchitoches | 59 | 9% | 301 | Yes |
All hospitals in Ruston · Lincoln Parish · All Louisiana hospitals