But one hospital in Shattuck, Okla., is bucking the trend.
“This year’s strategic plan encompasses expansion into maternity health,” said Tom Vasko, CEO of Newman Memorial Hospital. “While many organizations are closing or moving away from maternity services, we are storming towards it. In pedigree hospital operations, the mentality is the opposite. Complex challenges create havoc, but also opportunity.”
Becker’s reported 37 hospitals closing maternity services last year, and in rural areas more than 200 hospitals across the country have been forced to shut down labor and delivery services in the last decade, despite being expected to perform 10% of deliveries in the U.S.
“As regional hospitals close their maternity services, we see this as a volume and geographic expansion opportunity across service lines including primary care and surgical services,” said Mr. Vasko. “In addition, the local economic impact to local rural communities is profound. We will inject a maternity model that has yet to be implemented in Oklahoma.”
Mr. Vasko and his team have worked with Senator Casey Murdock (R-Okla.) to design Oklahoma State Bill (SB-222) to provide financial support for hospitals in the state that could be a boon for needed services. State legislators are expected to vote on the bill in February.
“Key to organizational shift is ensuring novel thought, approach and tactical plan that is executable, accountable and measurable day-to-day,” said Mr. Vasko. “The momentum, continuance of success and cultural buy-in across the organization and supporting communities is very palpable and will drive positive results. 2025 looks bright for Newman.
Adams Health Network in Decatur, Ind., is also breaking the mold. Nicholas Nussbaum, MD, director of medical affairs and community services at Adams Medical Group, told Becker’s the system has increased obstetrics services and improved results in recent years.
“We have shattered all preconceived notions of what is possible regarding rural obstetrics,” Dr. Nussbaum told Becker’s. “In an era where even providing OB services in a rural area is supposed to be impossible, we are adding providers, increasing volumes (+200% in a two-year period and +50% year over year versus 2023), and setting quality metric standards that most would dismiss as obvious typos.”
Adams achieved 100% of patients with at least one postpartum visit within the first 8 weeks after delivery, with 2.8 postpartum visits on average in the first 12 weeks. The hospital also reports a 15% c-section rate without offering VBACs.
“How is all of that possible? Accept that all of our prior underlying assumptions are wrong and start from scratch based on numerical and logical realities instead of insisting that ‘this time is different’ and forcing the same-old failing ‘solutions’ on the problem,” said Dr. Nussbaum. He later added, “The numbers are real, and we didn’t bankrupt the organization to achieve them – which might actually be the bigger achievement in some ways.”
