ELYRIA, Ohio — Elyria mayor Frank Whitfield said the decision made by University Hospitals (UH) Elyria Medical Center to end labor and delivery services caught him by surprise, and now he is urging the hospital system to keep the birthing center open for the sake of the community. 

What You Need To Know

  • The University Hospitals Elyria campus will stop delivering babies in the next few months

  • According to hospital officials, the decision is based on enhancing healthcare and safety

  • Lorain County residents and leaders are worried it could have a negative effect on the community

“We understand the demographic shifts that are happening the economic shifts, and we empathize with companies that have to make tough business decisions. However, when we are considering the health of residents — in particular in life and death situations — that is what must come first," Whitfield said. 

The medical center's President Kristy Sink said the Elyria birthing center delivered about 700 babies in 2019 and is on track to deliver about 500 babies this year. Sink said the declining volume of deliveries helped the hospital make the decision to end the services, a decision she said will actually benefit patients and the community. 

“If you do something more often, you're probably better at it, right? So the same thing applies in medical care. You want somebody that has been through more of those deliveries and has more of that experience because in that situation they're more likely to have experienced that unusual event and are better equipped to handle it," Sink said. 

Sink said UH Elyria will transition birthing services to its sister hospital the University Hospitals St. John campus which is about 15 miles away.

“To put those two programs together to recreate a very high volume service that really lets us attain the best clinical outcomes for our patients and put some extra services to it. That allows that experience to be what all of our moms deserve," Sink said.

 

Whitfield said residents have expressed concerns. A local survey generated more than 900 responses and shows 98 percent of respondents want a birthing center in the city of Elyria. Whitfield has been able to share those concerns with UH representatives directly. 

“We discussed what this decision would mean for Elyria and surrounding communities, and the barriers and dangers it poses. And we asked what their plan is to overcome these challenges—challenges that include the continuity of care and the relationship between doctors throughout the journey for families, transportation and the lack of public transportation here in Lorain County, and how emergency situations will be handled not having the birthing center in Elyria. So, there remains many unknowns that we're committed to holding UH accountable for," he said. 

Sink said UH Elyria is committed to the care of women and children in this community, and that the Elyria campus will continue to offer comprehensive women’s and children’s services including OBGYN physician and midwife care.

“One of the leading indicators of infant mortality is lack of prenatal care. So, if we can have moms in relationship with an OBGYN and get that care during their pregnancy. It absolutely makes a difference in the outcomes for those children, and then to deliver in a higher volume place where it's demonstrated that those risks are lower. I’m a mom—I would want that set of circumstances for myself," Sink said.