Southwest Healthcare Corona (Calif.) Regional Medical Center is set to close maternity services (labor and delivery) effective Jan. 30, according to a hospital statement shared with Becker’s. The final day of patient care will be Jan. 23.
The hospital, which is part of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services, attributed the decision to “the declining birth rate in the county over the past few years, a trend which is expected to continue.”
Hospital leaders said the additional space is an opportunity to decrease wait times in the emergency department and allow for a better patient experience. They also aim to increase the number of medical-surgical beds “to meet current healthcare demands.”
Maternity employees are encouraged to apply for other positions within the hospital and/or at the hospital’s nearby sister facility, Murrieta, Calif.-based Southwest Healthcare Rancho Springs Hospital, which offers maternity services, leaders said.
SWH Corona Regional Medical Center said it has communicated with physicians, who will help expectant patients adjust their plans.
SWH Corona Regional Medical Center, which has 1,250 employees total, according to its website, is among the latest organizations to announce maternity closures this year.
In addition to Corona Regional and Rancho Springs, Southwest Healthcare includes Palmdale (Calif.) Regional Medical Center, Wildomar, Calif.-based Southwest Healthcare Inland Valley Hospital, and Temecula (Calif.) Valley Hospital.
