Newark-Wayne Community Hospital will begin the state approval process to close its inpatient labor and delivery, newborn nursery and postpartum services, a major change Rochester Regional Health officials say is being driven primarily by patient safety concerns tied to staffing shortages and declining birth rates.
The hospital system announced Tuesday that it has formally filed plans with the New York State Department of Health to end the services at the Marshall Birthing Center, which has served families in Wayne County and surrounding communities for more than 70 years. If approved, the transition could happen in late summer or early fall of 2026.
In a detailed public statement released after the announcement, Rochester Regional Health said maintaining safe labor and delivery services requires highly specialized teams available around the clock — something officials say has become increasingly difficult because of persistent workforce shortages and lower delivery volumes at Newark-Wayne.
Hospital leaders said the facility has struggled to maintain full-time OB/GYN staffing coverage and has increasingly relied on temporary physician coverage. At the same time, fewer families have been choosing Newark-Wayne for deliveries, with more opting for larger regional hospitals that offer expanded specialty resources and higher-level maternal care.
Under the plan, labor and delivery services would eventually transition primarily to Rochester General Hospital and other regional facilities after Department of Health approval. Officials said deliveries will continue at Newark-Wayne during the review and transition process.
Rochester Regional Health emphasized that Newark-Wayne Community Hospital itself is not closing and that emergency services, inpatient hospital care and other departments will remain fully operational.
The health system also said prenatal care, outpatient postpartum services and gynecological care will continue locally through The Women’s Center in Newark and OB/GYN offices in Geneva. Officials said redirecting physicians away from inpatient labor coverage could eventually allow expanded outpatient women’s health access throughout the Finger Lakes.
Hospital officials acknowledged the announcement is likely to create uncertainty for expectant families, particularly in Wayne County and neighboring rural communities where maternity care access has become increasingly limited in recent years.
Patients currently planning deliveries through Newark-Wayne are expected to receive direct outreach from providers to coordinate transitions and answer questions. Emergency obstetric care will still be available locally, with stabilization and transfer protocols remaining in place for urgent situations.
Rochester Regional Health said the decision reflects broader national and statewide pressures facing rural maternity care systems, where declining birth volumes and provider shortages have forced many hospitals to reevaluate labor and delivery operations.
A public hearing on the proposed closure is expected later this month as part of the state review process.
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