St Joseph Medical Center: labor and delivery in Tacoma, WA
St Joseph Medical Center is a hospital in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington that delivers babies. It handled 3,660 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 31% delivered by C-section (1,197 such births). That is above the Washington rate of 28% and above the U.S. median of 26%.
- 31%First-birth C-section rate
- 3,660Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 477Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 3 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
1717 South J Street
Tacoma, WA 98405
Pierce County
Call (253) 627-4101 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Church
How St Joseph Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 31% | 28% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 477 | 280 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 96 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Washington, St Joseph Medical Center has the 40th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 47 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
- 68% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 65% 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
St Joseph 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 Tacoma
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital | Tacoma | 0.8 | 35% | 3,163 | Yes |
| St Francis Community Hospital | Federal Way | 6.8 | 22% | 1,519 | Yes |
| Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital | Puyallup | 8.8 | 25% | 1,743 | Yes |
| Multicare Auburn Medical Center | Auburn | 11 | 30% | 1,337 | Yes |
| Highline Medical Center | Burien | 15 | 26% | 1,165 | Yes |
| Valley Medical Center | Renton | 17 | 29% | 2,199 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Tacoma
More in Pierce County
- Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital (Puyallup)
All hospitals in Tacoma · Pierce County · All Washington hospitals