Sanford Bemidji Medical Center: labor and delivery in Bemidji, MN
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center is a hospital in Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minnesota that delivers babies. It handled 682 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 23% delivered by C-section (184 such births). That is below the Minnesota rate of 27% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 23%First-birth C-section rate
- 682Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 570Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 4 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center
- Newborn care: NICU on site
- Private labor and delivery rooms
- Doula support
- Birth center tours
Address and phone
1300 Anne St NW
Bemidji, MN 56601
Beltrami County
Call (218) 751-5430 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Sanford Bemidji Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 23% | 27% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 570 | 271 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 172 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Minnesota, Sanford Bemidji Medical Center has the 18th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 58 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
- 64% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 67% 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
Sanford Bemidji 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 Bemidji
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentia Health St Marys - Detroit Lakes | Detroit Lakes | 65 | 32% | 464 | Yes |
| Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital | Grand Rapids | 66 | 28% | 309 | Yes |
| Perham Health | Perham | 69 | 25% | 224 | – |
| Astera Health | Wadena | 74 | 10% | 154 | Yes |
| Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center | Thief River Falls | 74 | 35% | 178 | – |
| Lakewood Health System | Staples | 74 | – | 100 | – |
All hospitals in Bemidji · Beltrami County · All Minnesota hospitals