For more than 85 years, Holy Cross Hospital in Taos, New Mexico, has been a cornerstone of care for growing families. Since 1936, over 10,000 babies have been delivered at the hospital’s Labor and Delivery department—a place where families are welcomed with compassion, expertise, and a deep understanding of the community.
In today’s healthcare landscape, having a local hospital that continues to offer full labor and delivery services is something to truly celebrate. According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, more than 100 rural hospitals across the United States have stopped delivering babies since 2020 or have announced plans to do so later in 2025—including two right here in New Mexico. Holy Cross Hospital stands proudly among the rural hospitals that continue to keep this essential service close to home for northern New Mexico families.
Personalized Birth Experiences, Grounded in Care
At Holy Cross Hospital, the Labor and Delivery team takes pride in working closely with families to make each birth experience as personal and comfortable as possible. The team respects every family’s birth plan. Whether you’re planning to give birth at Holy Cross, at home, or elsewhere, the team wants you to know that the hospital is here if you need medical support at any point. If plans change, if complications arise, or if labor progresses faster than expected, Holy Cross is ready to provide safe, compassionate care should you need it.
We are a highly skilled labor and delivery department with staff who live where you live and value you and your culture. Come meet our team! We’d love to get to know you and help you through your birthing journey. If you choose another birth option, know that we are right here ready to care for you whatever may happen.”
Cathy Lexa, Nurse Manager of the Labor and Delivery Department
For those planning home births, Holy Cross Hospital stands ready to provide emergency support if complications arise.
A Close-Knit, Local Team
Holy Cross Hospital’s Labor and Delivery department is small but mighty—offering families continuity of care that you don’t often get at larger hospitals. Once admitted, mothers usually remain in the same room for the entirety of their stay, from early labor to recovery, cared for by a small close-knit nursing team.
“We are not like big hospitals where you get moved around during different stages of labor,” Lexa notes. “Here, you stay in the same room with the same team, with your family and baby.”
The department’s nurses all live in northern New Mexico. Holy Cross is currently onboarding three new nurses from the region, two of whom earned their nursing degrees from UNM–Taos through a partnership that helps build local healthcare talent.
“This is what we do,” Lexa says. “We help bring new life into the world. We try to meet every family where they are. This is our specialty and we are well connected with the local labor and pediatric world. We love what we do.”
Comprehensive Local Care Before and After Birth
Holy Cross Women’s Health Institute (WHI) provides comprehensive prenatal and pregnancy care right here in Taos. The team includes OB-GYNs Dr. Casey Smith and Dr. Cydney Siggins, along with Certified Nurse Midwife Anna Huesner, CNM.
If you choose to receive your prenatal care through WHI, you’ll have the benefit of working with the same trusted providers throughout your pregnancy and delivery—because the WHI team also serves as the medical delivery team at Holy Cross Hospital. This continuity of care means the people who know you and your pregnancy best will be right there with you when it’s time to welcome your baby. For families planning to deliver locally, choosing WHI is a wonderful way to ensure consistent, connected care from your first appointment through birth and beyond.
How nice is it that these families don’t have to commute for every appointment! It’s amazing to have a great labor and delivery team right here in Taos that can care for you every step of the way.”
Cathy Lexa
A typical pregnancy involves about 10–15 prenatal appointments and several lab or ultrasound visits. Having your providers right here in Taos means less travel, more time for family, and the reassurance that care is always close by.
Ongoing Support After Labor
Holy Cross Hospital’s commitment doesn’t end after delivery. The hospital partners with several local programs that provide postpartum and parenting support, including lactation counseling, the First Steps Home Visiting Program, and Taos Loves Kids, which offers classes and community connections for new parents.
The Holy Cross pediatric team—three pediatricians and two Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (CPNP-PC) with Taos Clinic for Youth and Children—helps ensure families have seamless care after birth.
The Holy Cross ROAMS (Rural OB Access and Maternal Services) program is an initiative dedicated to supporting pregnant women, new mothers, and children by connecting them with essential services. ROAMS offers free assistance to help support maternal and child well-being across rural communities. Find more at ROAMSnm.com
Prepared Childbirth Classes
To help expectant families feel confident, informed, and empowered, Holy Cross Hospital offers Prepared Childbirth Classes—a four-week, evidence-based program designed for parents-to-be. Led by the hospital’s experienced Labor and Delivery nurses, each session covers the stages of labor, delivery, and the postpartum period, helping families understand what to expect and how to prepare for every possibility.
These classes are a wonderful opportunity to learn directly from the nurses who specialize in supporting birth every day. You’ll gain practical knowledge, build confidence, and connect with the compassionate team that may be caring for you when your big day arrives.
We have a lot of births with minimal intervention, we make it as enjoyable as possible, and we are very connected with the families. It’s just amazing to be able to admit them, care for them through labor, take care of them afterwards, and stay connected to their families.”
Cathy Lexa
Whether you’re planning your first visit or just want to meet the team, Holy Cross Hospital invites you to learn more about their Labor and Delivery department, tour the space, and meet the staff.
To schedule a tour or learn more, call (575) 751-5850.