Watauga Medical Center: labor and delivery in Boone, NC
Watauga Medical Center is a hospital in Boone, Watauga County, North Carolina that delivers babies. It handled 580 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 15% delivered by C-section (211 such births). That is below the North Carolina rate of 25% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 15%First-birth C-section rate
- 580Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 189Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 4 of 5Patient survey stars
- 3 of 5Overall hospital stars
Address and phone
336 Deerfield Road
Boone, NC 28607
Watauga County
Call (828) 262-4100 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Government, Local
How Watauga Medical Center compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 15% | 25% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 189 | 289 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 42 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Top 25% (fewest complications).
In North Carolina, Watauga Medical Center has the 3rd-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 71 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: 4 of 5 stars
- 75% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 76% 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
Watauga 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 Boone
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashe Memorial Hospital | Jefferson | 19 | – | – | Yes |
| Wilkes Regional Medical Center | North Wilkesboro | 28 | 18% | 249 | Yes |
| Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospitals, Inc. | Morganton | 33 | 22% | 1,017 | Yes |
| Frye Regional Medical Center | Hickory | 36 | 25% | 318 | Yes |
| Johnston Memorial Hospital | Abingdon | 38 | 31% | 400 | Yes |
| Catawba Valley Medical Center | Hickory | 40 | 33% | 1,306 | Yes |
All hospitals in Boone · Watauga County · All North Carolina hospitals