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medpundit |
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Saturday, September 18, 2004Beginning next month, UHHS Brown Memorial Hospital will close down its inpatient obstetrics unit and will no longer provide inpatient obstetrics services, hospital officials said Tuesday. The OB unit will close Oct. 3, according to a BMH statement. After that date, no babies will be born in the city, ending a tradition of maternity care that has spanned decades of maternity tradition at BMH. ...The announcement means Ashtabula County Medical Center will become the only medical facility in the county where babies can be delivered. Patients at BMH have been referred to ACMC or hospitals based in Erie, according to the statement. Erie, Pennyslvania is 33.6 miles to the east, Ashtabula is 16.5 miles to the west. That might not seem far, but try driving it in the winter in the winter snow that comes in off Lake Erie. Not something I'd want to do while in labor. The hospital's problem is that it can't find enough anesthesiologists and obstetricians to man the labor and delivery suite for emergencies. For patient safety, they need the ability to perform cesarean sections within thirty minutes notice. Now why do you suppose they're having trouble recruiting? Malpractice insurance costs have made it difficult for BMH to find certified personnel to provide necessary services, officials said. “We’re in a real difficult situation regarding malpractice insurance,” Kraus said. “OB units are traditionally the hardest hit.” posted by Sydney on 9/18/2004 05:52:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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