Two Alabama Hospitals Shutting Down Inpatient Services, Including Rural Maternity Ward

Two Alabama hospitals have announced plans to cease inpatient services and transition to Rural Emergency Hospitals, which will result in the closure of one of the last birthing units in rural south Alabama.

Grove Hill Memorial Hospital in Clarke County announced via Facebook on Wednesday that its labor and delivery services will end on August 16. This follows the closure of Monroe County Hospital's labor and delivery department nine months ago.

The closure of these services will leave a significant portion of South Alabama without access to labor and delivery care, forcing women to travel to Selma, Montgomery, Mobile, or Bay Minette for such services.

Additionally, East Alabama Medical Center-Lanier in Chambers County has announced its intention to become a Rural Emergency Hospital, as reported in the news. Although this facility does not provide birthing services, it will discontinue other inpatient services if its application is approved.

In an article published on the Valley Times website on Wednesday, Executive Vice President Greg Nichols stated that the hospital has an average of six inpatients per day. He expects the “final switch” to the new model to be made within six months.

Both hospitals will continue to operate their emergency departments and outpatient services.

The Rural Emergency Hospital program was established to address the issue of rural hospital closures nationwide, providing additional financial support from federal agencies. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Rural Emergency Hospitals receive $267,408.68 monthly.

The program is available to rural hospitals with fewer than 50 beds. To qualify, hospitals must close inpatient services while keeping emergency departments open, and average inpatient stays cannot exceed 24 hours, necessitating the transfer of patients needing extended care to other hospitals.

Earlier this year, Bullock County Hospital in Union Springs announced plans to become the state’s first Rural Emergency Hospital.

Rural labor and delivery units have been closing across the country as hospitals face declining populations and rising operational costs for obstetrical departments. Grove Hill Memorial Hospital is the fourth Alabama hospital in less than a year to close its labor and delivery services.

A report last year by the Alabama Hospital Association highlighted that the pandemic caused significant financial difficulties for many of the state’s medical centers, with about half of the state’s hospitals operating at a loss.