Ambulance crews across Wayne County are preparing for more maternity emergencies on the road, according to WHAM, as Newark-Wayne Community Hospital moves toward closing its labor and delivery unit.
Local EMS agencies are developing new training programs and reviewing procedures ahead of the expected closure later this year. First responders say out-of-hospital births remain rare, but longer trips to hospitals in Rochester or Canandaigua could increase the challenges facing pregnant patients and emergency crews.
Rochester Regional Health has not yet submitted formal closure plans to the state Department of Health and says the birthing center will remain fully operational during the transition. Hospital officials cited staffing challenges and declining birth numbers, which fell from 502 in 2021 to 380 in 2025.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].