Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen is reporting a significant rise in deliveries following a strategic partnership with Diana Health, a women’s healthcare provider based in New York. Hospital officials state that the collaboration, which began in late 2024, has successfully integrated certified nurse midwives into the facility’s obstetric care model.
Data from the hospital indicates that 536 babies were delivered in 2025. This figure represents a 29% increase compared to the three-year historical average of 415 annual deliveries recorded between 2022 and 2024. The partnership also coincided with a 17% reduction in cesarean section rates among mothers classified as low-risk, when compared to the same prior three-year period.
The initiative aims to address a broader decline in local birth rates. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the fertility rate in Collin County dropped by more than 25% between 2005 and 2024. In 2024, approximately 51 out of 1,000 women of reproductive age in the county gave birth. Prior to the new program, hospital leadership noted a decrease in births attributed to population shifts and competition from other medical facilities.
Kari McCord, the chief nursing officer at Texas Health’s Allen hospital, described the midwifery integration as a strategic move to meet community demand for natural birth options that still include hospital safety resources. She noted that the growing patient volume has occasionally pushed the facility’s 14-bed labor and delivery unit and six-bed neonatal intensive care unit toward capacity.
Margaret Buxton, vice president of clinical operations for Diana Health, explained that the model pairs midwives with physicians on every shift. This structure allows midwives to provide relationship-based support for low-risk pregnancies while physicians are available for high-risk situations. Buxton stated that this combination improves patient satisfaction and increases vaginal birth rates.
