Washington, Ind.-based Daviess Community Hospital will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 10 to celebrate the opening of its new women’s health center, according to a hospital news release shared with Becker’s.
DCH, which operates a 48-bed hospital, seven specialty clinics and seven outpatient clinics, said the center will serve as a “one-stop shop” offering OB-GYN services, prenatal and postpartum care, ultrasound services and 3D mammography.
The center will be located on the second floor of the hospital alongside its level 2 obstetrics center — one of the only such centers in the region — and nursery, allowing DCH to care for more than 99% of newborns locally, CEO Justin Harris told Becker’s.
The opening comes as maternity care challenges persist nationwide. A report reflecting data through 2026 from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform found fewer than half of U.S. rural hospitals offer labor and delivery services. In 12 states, fewer than one-third do.
Becker’s has reported similar trends, including 29 maternity service closures in 2025 and 10 so far in 2026, including closures in southwestern Indiana.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Harris said DCH has been refurbishing existing space and investing in new medical equipment for the women’s health center, a project estimated at several hundred thousand dollars. The hospital has also hired two OB-GYN physicians, Sonya Williams, MD, and Michael Ryskin, MD.
“The goal is certainly not to put other surrounding hospitals out of business, but rather support our communities through midwives and advanced practice providers until the later stages of pregnancy,” Mr. Harris said.
“This renewed growth, energy and sense of ownership is creating more jobs to provide more local care in Daviess County.”
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