McLaren St. Luke’s, located in Maumee, has served expectant mothers for the past 25 years. As of this September, however, that service will end. The hospital announced at the end of May that it will be closing the Holland and Perrysburg obstetrics physician offices, and labor and deliveries will come to an end at the hospital between August 31 and September 30 of this year.
While this was a difficult decision for the hospital to make, it seemed to be the best course of action due to continuing challenges from COVID-19, a national healthcare staffing shortage, and the exclusion from Paramount Insurance product. Jennifer Montgomery, McLaren St. Luke’s President and CEO, made the following statement: “We made every effort to avoid eliminating the program, but the loss of a large managed care health plan and other economic conditions have significantly reduced the number of patients who choose McLaren St. Luke’s for birthing services.”
In addition to the loss of a health plan and economic conditions, there has also been a decrease in birth rates in Lucas County. For several years the rates in the county have been trending downward with a 40 percent decline in March. The hospital saw a 20-30 percent decrease once the service became out of network with Paramount at the start of 2022.
Still committed to high-quality care
Many departments in the hospital have been restructured since the start of 2021 by reassigning employees to areas that have a higher need. The chief medical officer at McLaren St. Luke’s, Stephen Bazeley, MD., stated, “They [adults and seniors in Northwest Ohio] know and trust us for high-quality services like cardiovascular care and open-heart surgery, spine and neurological care, robotic surgery, and orthopedic services. We are committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality care and continuing to be a partner to the communities we serve.”
Although McLaren St. Luke’s will no longer be offering birthing and delivery services, many other area hospitals continue to provide this type of care. Montgomery explained, “A number of local hospitals have larger obstetrics programs, NICU and Special Care nurseries, as well as pediatrics services that make them the choice of many families in the area.”
Some additional points McLaren St. Luke’s wanted to share:
- Moving forward, expectant mothers will continue to have a choice for obstetrics care at several hospitals within a 15-mile radius of McLaren St. Luke’s.
- Obstetrics patients currently in the care of McLaren St. Luke’s physicians will be contacted directly. Patients with questions should contact their primary OB/GYN provider.
- McLaren St. Luke’s will continue to provide mammography and other radiology services.
- Patients experiencing a medical emergency – obstetrics-related or otherwise – should not hesitate to visit the McLaren St. Luke’s emergency room after the family birthing center closure. The hospital has an experienced emergency department team trained to provide emergency medical care and, if needed, will make arrangements for a transfer.
