Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health plans to discontinue labor and delivery and obstetrics services at its Baptist Health-Fort Smith campus, effective April 28.
Forty employees will be affected by the change, a Baptist Health spokesperson said in a March 30 statement shared with Becker’s.
“This decision was not made lightly; it follows a careful analysis of the program’s long-term operational sustainability amid significant and sustained challenges, including the rising costs of specialized care,” the spokesperson said. Deliveries at the hospital have declined from 92 per month to about 20 per month over the past five years.
Becker’s reached out to Baptist Health to determine whether the 40 affected employees will be offered new roles within the system. This story will be updated if more information becomes available.
The system said teams will work with patients to ensure follow-up arrangements and a safe, coordinated transition to avoid gaps in care.
“While this is not the path we would have chosen, this decision intends to preserve the hospital’s overall health and sustain the core services our community relies on most,” the spokesperson said.
The announcement comes less than a week after Baptist Health President and CEO Troy Wells said the hospital is planning “significant changes” to Fort Smith campus operations over the next 12 to 18 months. After extensive review and analysis, changes at the Fort Smith campus will include reinvesting in some services and transitioning out of others, Mr. Wells said in a March 25 statement shared with Becker’s.
“For the past several years, the health care environment across the country has changed dramatically,” Mr. Wells said March 25. “Hospitals everywhere are facing rising costs, workforce shortages, and shifts in how care is delivered. These challenges require health systems to continually evaluate how best to provide care in ways that are sustainable for the long term.”
The system will also consolidate where some services are provided on its downtown Little Rock campus to make facilities investments for future operations. Leaders anticipate more than $20 million will be invested in the campus over the next few years, Mr. Wells said.
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