Best Hospitals to Give Birth in Scottsdale and Phoenix

The best hospital to give birth in Scottsdale or Phoenix is the one that matches your pregnancy, your provider and your insurance. For a low-risk pregnancy, a hospital close to home with the support you want may be the right call; for a higher-risk pregnancy, the level of maternal and newborn care matters more than the drive.

This list compares six Valley hospitals with labor and delivery units using facts you can check yourself: the level each one holds from the Arizona Perinatal Trust, what each hospital says about its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and the services listed on its own maternity pages. We are a doula practice, not a medical provider, and we don’t rank hospitals by quality. The order below is about fit, not better or worse.

One important caveat: designations and services change. Two hospitals on this list describe their NICU level differently on their own sites than the Arizona Perinatal Trust list does, which is exactly why you should confirm the details with the hospital and your OB or midwife before you decide.

How we chose

Arizona Perinatal Trust (APT) certification. APT runs Arizona’s voluntary perinatal certification program and publishes a list of certified hospitals and their levels, from Level I (basic care) to Level IV (critical care for all gestational ages, with all subspecialty and intensive care). We used the level APT lists on its certification page as of September 2026.
The hospital’s own description. NICU wording, midwifery, lactation support and classes come only from each hospital’s maternity pages.
Location. We focused on Scottsdale and Phoenix, plus two East Valley hospitals many Scottsdale families use.
What we did not use. We did not use star ratings, rankings from magazines, or Leapfrog maternity scores, because those change on their own schedules and we could not present them accurately here. You can look them up yourself. We also checked Baby-Friendly USA’s directory: as of September 2026, none of the hospitals below appeared on its Arizona list.

1. HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center

Scottsdale and northeast Valley families who want a Level III NICU close to home

APT level: IIIB
Hospital’s wording: Level III NICU, 28-bed, “the only one in the northeast Valley with a Level III designation”
OB/GYN hospitalists available 24/7; maternal-fetal medicine for high-risk pregnancies
Center for Breastfeeding Support (outpatient lactation)
9003 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Scottsdale Shea is the closest option on this list for most of our Scottsdale and Paradise Valley families. HonorHealth describes private birthing suites, rooming-in with your baby after delivery, and three surgical suites. Its NICU is staffed by neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners and specialized nurses with 24-hour coverage, and Phoenix Children’s lists Scottsdale Shea among the hospitals where its neonatology division provides care.

After you go home, the hospital’s Center for Breastfeeding Support offers outpatient lactation visits, which we cover in our breastfeeding resources list.

Visit HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center’s website

2. Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix

High-risk pregnancies that may need the most specialized care in central Phoenix

APT level: IV
Hospital’s wording: “Level IV Perinatal Center” including its NICU
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center; antepartum unit; nurse midwives on the team
Lactation consultants
1111 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006

Banner announced in August 2023 that APT had designated this hospital Arizona’s first Level IV perinatal center. Its maternity page lists care for normal, complicated and high-risk pregnancies, including multiples, and a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center that handles fetal testing and babies with congenital conditions.

The team Banner describes includes doctors, nurses, nurse midwives, maternal-fetal medicine specialists and neonatologists, so a lower-risk birth is possible here too. If your OB has flagged a concern early, this is one to ask about.

Visit Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix’s website

3. Banner Desert Medical Center / Banner Children’s at Desert (Mesa)

East Valley families who want a children’s hospital on the same campus

APT level: IV (listed as Banner Desert Med Center/Banner Children’s at Desert)
Hospital’s wording: Level III Perinatal Center and Level III NICU at Banner Children’s at Desert
Multiple-birth specialists; Banner – University Maternal Fetal Clinic
Lactation consultants
1400 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa, AZ 85202

Banner Desert is here for Scottsdale-area families who see an East Valley OB. Its maternity page covers normal, complicated and high-risk pregnancies, hospitalization during a high-risk pregnancy, and newborn intensive care at Banner Children’s at Desert.

Note the mismatch: APT’s certification list shows Level IV, while Banner’s own maternity page describes Level III. Ask the hospital which designation is current when you tour.

Visit Banner Desert Medical Center / Banner Children’s at Desert (Mesa)’s website

4. Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

Central Phoenix families who want certified nurse-midwives and a Level III NICU in one place

APT level: IIIB
Hospital’s wording: Level III nursery intensive care unit (NyICU), with ECMO
Certified nurse-midwives; maternal-fetal medicine; anesthesiologists 24 hours a day
Board-certified lactation consultants; childbirth classes and birth center tours
350 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013

St. Joseph’s Family Birth Center has a dedicated area for high-risk deliveries, and every room has a multiposition birthing bed and a private bathroom with a shower. The hospital says its NICU has extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a heart-lung bypass machine for the sickest babies.

For pain relief, the hospital lists in-room showers, breathing guidance and nitrous oxide alongside 24-hour anesthesia. If you want a midwife-attended hospital birth with a higher-level NICU down the hall, put this on your tour list.

Visit Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center’s website

5. Valleywise Health Medical Center

Families paying out of pocket who want a maternity package plan

APT level: IIIB
NICU for critically ill newborns from 23 weeks’ gestation
Doctors, midwives and nurses; VBAC offered; in-house lactation consultant
Maternity payment plan with packages for vaginal and cesarean births
2601 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85008

Valleywise runs medical teaching programs alongside patient care. Its labor and delivery team cares for high-risk patients, offers vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), and promotes skin-to-skin contact in the room after a cesarean birth.

The detail that sets it apart for some families is the maternity package plan. Valleywise says its packages include prenatal visits, provider fees and hospitalization fees, including epidurals and breastfeeding support. Ask for the current agreement before you commit.

Visit Valleywise Health Medical Center’s website

6. Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center

Southeast Valley families who want private NICU rooms with space for a parent

APT level: IIIA
Hospital’s wording: Level II NICU (“Level II E designation”)
Antepartum and postpartum care; lactation consultants
Childbirth and “mommy fit” classes; birth center tours
1955 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224

Chandler Regional is a practical choice if you live or work in Chandler, Gilbert or Tempe. The hospital describes labor, delivery and recovery suites designed for privacy, plus prenatal diagnosis, genetic testing and newborn screening.

As with Banner Desert, the hospital’s own wording (Level II) and APT’s list (IIIA) don’t match. That doesn’t mean either is wrong today, only that you should ask.

Visit Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center’s website

Hospital	City	APT level	Midwives listed
HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea	Scottsdale	IIIB	Not stated
Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix	Phoenix	IV	Yes
Banner Desert / Banner Children’s at Desert	Mesa	IV	Not stated
Dignity Health St. Joseph’s	Phoenix	IIIB	Yes
Valleywise Health Medical Center	Phoenix	IIIB	Yes
Dignity Health Chandler Regional	Chandler	IIIA	Not stated on maternity page

Questions to ask before you choose

Does my OB or midwife deliver at this hospital?

This usually decides it. Providers deliver only where they have hospital privileges, so if you have a hospital in mind, confirm your provider has privileges there, or choose your provider with the hospital in mind.

What does the NICU level actually mean for me?

The level describes the sickest mothers and babies a hospital is set up to care for. APT’s definitions say a Level II center should not electively deliver babies before 32 weeks, a Level IIIA center before 28 weeks, while Level IIIB and IV centers care for all gestational ages. Your provider is the right person to tell you whether your pregnancy needs a particular level.

Can my doula come with me?

Ask about the current visitor and support-person policy on your tour. Policies can change, so check again in your third trimester. If you’re still deciding whether you want a doula, our birth doulas list is a good starting point.

What lactation support is available after I go home?

Several of these hospitals list outpatient lactation visits or breastfeeding groups. Knowing where to go on day four, before you need it, is one of the most useful things you can arrange ahead of time.

Once you’ve picked a hospital, pack with our hospital bag checklist and hospital bag essentials, and plan the weeks after birth, too. Doulas of the Valley offers postpartum doula care across Scottsdale and the Phoenix metro; if you’re recovering from a cesarean, our week-by-week C-section recovery guide may help. Questions? Get in touch.