Betsy Johnson Hospital to stop labor and delivery, creating 'maternity desert'
Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn announced Thursday it will stop providing labor and delivery services in October.
The hospital is operated by Cape Fear Valley Health System in Fayetteville, and the news impacts hundreds of expectant mothers.
Hospital administrators told WRAL News Betsy Johnson Hospital delivers only about 300 to 400 babies a year, and due to staffing shortages in the medical field created by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to staff the unit.
"Right now, we're delivering about one baby a day on average," said Dr. Michael Jones with Cape Fear Valley Health System. "It's very difficult to staff a unit for that volume -- particularly when there's an emergency and you go from needing one or two nurses to many nurses at one time."
The hospital will stop labor and delivery services effective Oct. 15.
A press release read, "This decision comes after careful consideration and reflects the changing healthcare landscape, including declining demand for maternity services, recruitment challenges and financial realities."
Betsy Johnson Hospital was the only hospital in Harnett County to provide labor and delivery services. Now, mothers will have to drive as far as 45 minutes to deliver their babies.
So-called "maternity deserts" are a nationwide problem. According to Jones, 36% of counties in the United States don't provide labor and delivery services. In North Carolina, 21 of 100 counties don't have hospitals with maternity wards.
Hospital officials said expectant mothers who planned to deliver at Betsy Johnson will be sent to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center or another hospital of their choosing.
Betsy Johnson Hospital will continue to provide other OBGYN services and will work closely with patients to transfer records for those who want to deliver their babies at hospitals outside of the Cape Fear Valley Health System.
Patients who have questions or concerns can reach out to the hospital's patient relations department at 910-766-7126.
Betsy Johnson Hospital is one of many hospitals that have stopped providing labor and delivery services.
The Associated Press recently reported that a growing number of rural hospitals have been shutting down their labor and delivery units, forcing pregnant women to travel longer distances for care or face giving birth in an emergency room.
