Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital: labor and delivery in Dekalb, IL
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital is a hospital in Dekalb, DeKalb County, Illinois that delivers babies. It handled 714 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 24% delivered by C-section (217 such births). That is the same as the Illinois rate of 24% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 24%First-birth C-section rate
- 714Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 329Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 5 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital
- Newborn care: NICU on site
- Private labor and delivery rooms
- Midwifery care
- Doula support
- Epidural and pain relief options
- VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) support
- Lactation consultants
- Skin-to-skin time after birth
- Rooming-in with your baby
- Childbirth and parenting classes
- High-risk pregnancy and maternal-fetal medicine care
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
One Kish Hospital Drive
Dekalb, IL 60115
DeKalb County
Call (815) 756-1521 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 24% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 329 | 314 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 39 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%. Not counting transfusion-only cases: Top 25% (fewest complications).
In Illinois, Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital has the 31st-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 78 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
- 68% 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
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee 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 Dekalb
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Medicine Delnor Community Hospital | Geneva | 21 | 27% | 1,045 | Yes |
| Advocate Sherman Hospital | Elgin | 22 | 23% | 1,814 | Yes |
| Presence Mercy Medical Center | Aurora | 23 | 48% | 158 | Yes |
| Saint Anthony Medical Center | Rockford | 27 | 32% | 249 | Yes |
| Copley Memorial Hospital | Aurora | 28 | 30% | 2,692 | Yes |
| Uw Health | Rockford | 29 | 27% | 2,821 | Yes |
All hospitals in Dekalb · DeKalb County · All Illinois hospitals