Paris, Tenn.-based West Tennessee Healthcare Henry County Hospital will resume labor and delivery services, with a goal of welcoming the first deliveries in spring 2027.
West Tennessee Medical Group has recruited an additional physician to join the women’s health team in Paris, a step toward restoring deliveries at the hospital, according to a Sept. 22 news release. Inspire Women’s Health will become West Tennessee Medical Group Women’s Health, with patients continuing to see the same local team.
“We know how much having labor and delivery here means to the families we serve,” Paula Bell, CEO of the hospital, said in the release. “There is something special about being able to welcome a new baby right here at home.”
The reopening comes as other hospitals end maternity care. Becker’s has reported 22 maternity service closures so far in 2026, following 29 in 2025, as hospitals cite declining birth rates, staffing shortages and reimbursement that does not cover the cost of providing maternity care.
The system will share more information about the new physician and the timing of services as plans are finalized, along with word on when obstetric appointments can be scheduled, the release said.
Jackson, Tenn.-based West Tennessee Healthcare is a public, nonprofit system serving 19 counties in West Tennessee and Southeast Missouri.
