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RRH to close labor and delivery services at community hospital
RRH to close labor and delivery services at community hospital
Listen to this articleRochester Regional Health has announced plans to discontinue inpatient labor and delivery services at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, citing patient safety concerns tied to staffing shortages and declining birth volumes.
The health system has filed plans with the New York State Department of Health seeking approval to close inpatient labor and delivery, newborn nursery and post-partum services at the Wayne County hospital. RRH officials said they will continue working closely with the state throughout the review process.
According to RRH, labor and delivery care requires a highly specialized team available around the clock. Ongoing challenges recruiting and retaining full-time OB/GYN coverage, combined with increased reliance on temporary physicians and fewer births at Newark-Wayne, have made it increasingly difficult to safely sustain the services locally.
The transition, pending state approval, would shift deliveries to Rochester General Hospital and other appropriate regional facilities equipped with expanded maternity and specialty care resources. RRH noted that more families have already been choosing to deliver at regional hospitals offering advanced services on site.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision, and it was made with patient safety as the priority,” said Michael Rulffes, president and chief operating officer of Newark-Wayne Community Hospital and Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic.
Hospital leaders emphasized that Newark-Wayne Community Hospital will remain open and continue providing emergency care, along with established transfer protocols for obstetric patients. Prenatal care, outpatient post-partum services and women’s health services will also continue through Newark OB/GYN offices.
RRH acknowledged that some patients may learn of the change before hearing directly from their providers and said care teams will be contacting affected families to discuss next steps and answer questions.
“Our commitment to serving the Newark and Finger Lakes communities remains unchanged,” the health system stated, adding that consolidating delivery services is intended to ensure patients maintain reliable, 24/7 access to specialized labor and delivery care when it is needed most.
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