Newark-Wayne Community Hospital will stop providing labor and delivery services at the end of August as Rochester Regional Health moves toward closing the hospital’s Marshall Birthing Unit.
Labor and delivery care will continue through Aug. 31, but patients planning to give birth at Newark-Wayne will be redirected to Rochester General Hospital or other regional birthing centers beginning at 11:59 p.m. that day. Inpatient labor and delivery, newborn nursery and postpartum services are scheduled to be formally suspended Sept. 3.
The New York State Department of Health has conditionally approved the planned closure, according to Rochester Regional Health. Final approval remains dependent on completion of a required Certificate of Need and other conditions outlined by the state.
Rochester Regional Health said it has worked with emergency medical services, its other hospitals and regional birthing centers to prepare for the change. The organizations reviewed expected patient volumes and determined that other centers are positioned to absorb the deliveries, the health system said.
Staffing challenges drove the decision
Michael Rulffes, president and chief operating officer of Newark-Wayne Community Hospital and Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic, said maintaining around-the-clock specialized nursing, physician, anesthesia and neonatal support has become increasingly difficult.
“This is not a decision we wanted to make,” Rulffes said, acknowledging the importance of the birthing unit to generations of Wayne County families and the effect of the closure on patients and hospital employees.
The hospital itself is not closing. Newark-Wayne will continue offering emergency care, surgeries, inpatient and outpatient care, diagnostic services and other health care services.
Prenatal and women’s health care will remain local
Outpatient prenatal, obstetrical, gynecological and women’s health services will continue through the Women’s Center in Newark and Rochester Regional Health’s obstetrics and gynecology practice in Geneva.
The health system said it has developed individual delivery plans with current patients and is contacting pregnant patients whose expected delivery dates are near or after the transition. Care coordination, patient navigation and other support will continue during the change.
Patients with questions are encouraged to contact their obstetrician or gynecologist. Rochester Regional Health said additional transition information is available through its Newark patient-information page.
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