Pella Regional Health Center’s first baby of 2025 is a little girl. Liberty Jo Peterson was born at 2:43 p.m. on Jan. 1. She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces, and was 19 inches long. Her parents are Katie Reed and Collin Peterson of Monroe. Dr. Elizabeth Wooster-Pierson delivered the baby, and Nicole Richardson, RN, was the labor nurse.

While Liberty is Pella Regional’s first baby in 2025, there were 628 babies delivered at Pella Regional Health Center in 2024. Delivering 628 babies in one year is a record number at Pella Regional. The previous record was 610 babies born in 2023. There were 339 boys and 289 girls. The heaviest baby was 10 pounds 14 ounces.

The most popular name for boys was Brooks; for girls, it was Wren/Wrenley/Wrenlee.

“Over half of Iowa’s 99 counties do not have OB units, and eight of those counties are directly in, or adjacent to, areas served by Pella Regional, said Jody Van Veen, Chief Nursing Officer at Pella Regional. “We are thankful to those who have chosen us to entrust their care, and in many cases, driven a distance for obstetrical services. We are proud of having a record-breaking year and recognize it could not have happened without dedicated staff and providers providing high-quality, safe, and compassionate care. We continue to invest in care for pregnant women and their families.”

Pella Regional’s family of medical clinics offers 10 family practice physicians who also practice obstetrics to serve their growing service area in providing prenatal care, delivery and care of the newborn after delivery. These physicians include Garrett Donaldson, MD, Cassandra Lanning, DO; Lucas Mihalovich, DO; Elizabeth Wooster-Pierson, MD; Anne Hellbusch, DO; Mario Martinez, MD, PhD; Richard Posthuma, MD; Daniel Rowley, MD; Tereasa Van Zee, DO; Anne Meis, MD and Craig Wittenberg, MD.