Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) delivers a New Year’s Baby on Jan. 1, marking the arrival of the first baby of 2025. Madelyn Jane was born on New Year’s Day at 2:21 a.m., weighing seven pounds, nine ounces, and 20 inches long. Madelyn is the fourth child to parents Chandy and Sam Priebe of Rockwell City. SMCH has three experienced providers that offer obstetrics care and delivery, with 83 babies being delivered in 2024 and October having the most with 11. SMCH CEO Linn Block, RN, BSN, MHA, says, “At Stewart Memorial, we continue our commitment to providing accessible and high-quality maternity care without our region. At a time when many rural hospitals are facing challenges in maintaining obstetric services and more than one-third of the United States has ‘maternity care deserts’, we are proud to ensure that families in our region have access to the care they need to welcome their newborns.” The Priebe family was given a gift basket, donated by SMCH and its employees to celebrate the New Year’s baby, which included diapers, wipes, blankets, and much more.
