On August 5, 2026, Floyd County Medical Center (FCMC) terminated the employment of its only Certified Nurse Midwives. This effectively ended their midwifery program and eliminated care for women in the Charles City area seeking the expertise of midwives in a hospital-based setting. The closure came without advance notice to the affected midwives or to patients who had been receiving care through the program.

The decision comes just two months after FCMC received approval for a $27.5 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to expand and renovate the medical center.

This loss of hospital-based midwifery services comes at a time when Iowa continues to face significant challenges in access to maternity care. Iowa ranks last in the nation in the number of maternity care providers per capita and 13th in the nation for the highest maternal mortality rate.

Iowa has also experienced the closure of more than 40 obstetric or labor-and-delivery units since 2000. These closures have disproportionately affected rural communities, increasing the distance many pregnant patients must travel to receive maternity care.

The Iowa Midwives Association is deeply disappointed to see yet another healthcare system in Iowa make substantive changes that limit the maternity care options available to Iowa women. Midwives play an important role in improving maternal and newborn outcomes while providing a model of care that emphasizes individualized, evidence-based support throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.

The decision by the Floyd County Medical Center to end its midwifery program means that women in this rural community now have fewer options for midwifery care and will have to travel farther to access hospital-based midwives. At a time when Iowa is already facing significant challenges in access to maternity care, particularly in rural communities, losing an established local option is a step in the wrong direction.

On August 7th, 2027, the FCMC released the following statement:

“We want to clarify that FCMC is not closing its Obstetrics program. We continue to provide labor and delivery services and obstetrical care for the communities we serve.” 

The Iowa Midwives Association is a registered non-profit trade organization. We offer advocacy for community-based midwives throughout the state of Iowa. ​IMA offers professional development for members working in the birth field, as well as education, resources, and events for the public. ​We support the Midwives Model of Care, based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

The Iowa Midwives Association is calling attention to the loss of midwifery services in Charles City and the broader need to preserve and expand maternity care options for Iowa families, particularly in rural communities.


Iowa Midwives Association Contact:
Bethany Hantz, LM, CPM, IMA Legislative Liaison

 319-241-0147

www.iowamidwivesassociation.org