Penn State Health St. Joseph: labor and delivery in Reading, PA
Penn State Health St. Joseph is a hospital in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania that delivers babies. It handled 769 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 29% delivered by C-section (255 such births). That is above the Pennsylvania rate of 27% and above the U.S. median of 26%.
- 29%First-birth C-section rate
- 769Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 278Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 3 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
2500 Bernville Road
Reading, PA 19605
Berks County
Call (610) 378-2000 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Penn State Health St. Joseph compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 29% | 27% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 278 | 263 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 98 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%. Not counting transfusion-only cases: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Pennsylvania, Penn State Health St. Joseph has the 48th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 72 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
- 72% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 71% 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
Penn State Health St. Joseph 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 Reading
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Hospital | West Reading | 3.7 | 28% | 2,844 | Yes |
| Wellspan Ephrata Community Hospital | Ephrata | 17 | 94% | 255 | Yes |
| Wellspan Good Samaritan Hospital | Lebanon | 23 | 97% | 213 | Yes |
| Schuylkill Medical Center - South Jackson Street | Pottsville | 24 | 24% | 525 | Yes |
| Lehigh Valley Hospital - MacUngie | Macungie | 24 | – | – | Yes |
| UPMC Lititz | Lititz | 24 | 23% | 1,335 | Yes |
More in Berks County
- Reading Hospital (West Reading)
All hospitals in Reading · Berks County · All Pennsylvania hospitals