UF Health Shands Hospital: labor and delivery in Gainesville, FL
UF Health Shands Hospital is a hospital in Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida that delivers babies. It handled 3,293 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 25% delivered by C-section (1,022 such births). That is below the Florida rate of 30% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 25%First-birth C-section rate
- 3,293Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 456Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 5 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at UF Health Shands Hospital
- Newborn care: NICU on site
- Midwifery care
- Lactation consultants
- Baby-Friendly hospital designation
- High-risk pregnancy and maternal-fetal medicine care
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
1600 SW Archer Rd
Gainesville, FL 32610
Alachua County
Call (352) 265-8000 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How UF Health Shands Hospital compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 25% | 30% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 456 | 293 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 153 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Florida, UF Health Shands Hospital has the 33rd-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 93 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
- 78% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 74% 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
UF Health Shands 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 Gainesville
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCA Florida North Florida Hospital | Gainesville | 4.3 | 20% | 3,197 | Yes |
| Adventhealth Ocala | Ocala | 34 | 24% | 2,502 | Yes |
| Ascension St Vincent's Clay County | Middleburg | 45 | 26% | 1,108 | Yes |
| HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital | Orange Park | 51 | 20% | 995 | Yes |
| HCA Florida Citrus Hospital | Inverness | 56 | 18% | 463 | Yes |
| Baptist Health Medical Center - Jacksonville | Jacksonville | 62 | 32% | 6,646 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Gainesville
All hospitals in Gainesville · Alachua County · All Florida hospitals