A Valley company that operates freestanding birth centers will close at the end of April.
According to the website for Willow Midwife Center for Birth and Wellness, the company “will be transitioning operations and will continue providing prenatal care and birth services through April 30, 2026.”
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services website, Willow is licensed to operate freestanding birth centers in Mesa, Phoenix, and Gilbert, but it’s unclear how many of those facilities are still open. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the reasons for the pending shutdown.
Over the past year, the ABC15 Investigators reported on multiple former clients who alleged the company provided substandard care when the lives of moms and babies were on the line.
The ABC15 Investigators found:
- Since 2024, six families have filed lawsuits against Willow alleging negligence or standard of care violations. Three lawsuits have resulted in settlements without Willow admitting any fault.
- Police reports said midwives were "confrontational," “rude,” or “continued to interfere” with crews responding to 911 calls about babies in medical distress. The company and its attorney declined to comment on the encounters with first responders.
- In 2025, ADHS issued a citation for Willow's Mesa location for failing to ensure policies and procedures to protect the health and safety of a patient. Willow’s plan of correction included more training on monitoring fetal heartbeats.
- ADHS issued a six-month license suspension to a midwife after she faced care complaints related to two births in Willow facilities, according to departmental records. One of the families involved said their son was stillborn.
In 2025, the spokesperson for Willow told ABC15, "Hundreds of families a year choose to birth with Willow. For patients who are healthy and low risk, it is an excellent and safe choice." She added Willow’s midwives provided care to 283 patients in 2023 and claimed less than one percent required transfer to the hospital for medical needs.
According to Willow’s website, the clinical team is “committed to supporting current patients” until the closure, and “patients with due dates after April 30 will be assisted with referrals and medical records transfers.”
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