Pregnant patients with due dates after May 1 will no longer be able to give birth at Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital.
Bonn Securities Mercy Health will close its midwifery center in Fairfield as it consolidates labor and delivery services at Anderson and West hospitals.
The hospital system declined to provide numbers on how many staff members were affected by the closure of the Fairfield midwifery center, which employed more than 90 people in 2021.
“All affected employees will be offered new positions within the ministry,” the Catholic hospital system said in an official statement.
The hospital system's official statement said the decision was based on national and regional assessments of women's health services. However, when the hospital was asked to provide the documents, it refused, citing “confidential information.”
“Our internal task force conducted all assessments,” said hospital spokeswoman Lisa Dyson. “Given market conditions, this strategic decision was made to ensure current and future patients continue to receive quality care without increasing costs.”
This decision comes despite a 2023 Bon Secours Mercy Health report that identified Black women in Fairfield's service area as a population with higher infant mortality rates and in need of better access to services. It was conducted.
Fairfield Hospital first opened its midwifery center in 1996, the Journal News reported. Since then, at least 40,000 babies have been delivered there.
Remote birthing hospitals pose higher risks for pregnant patients and black women
The longer the distance to the birthing hospital, the higher the risk of a negative maternal outcome and neonate admission to the intensive care unit, according to a 2022 study on births in Pennsylvania. Additionally, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio found that transportation access and maternity ward closures are major barriers for Black women needing prenatal care.
Questioners asked Bonn Securities Mercy Health about the impact relocating its workforce and delivery services from Fairfield would have on Black pregnant women in the area.
“We commit ourselves to the mercy of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bringing good aid to those in need, especially the poor, the dying, and the underserved.” We continue to be guided by our mission to extend deep ministry,” Dyson responded. Email. “Our new centralized women's service model continues our ability to provide access to maternity care with a focus on equity.”
The number of births is expected to increase at Nishi Hospital
Dyson also explained that Anderson Hospital and West Hospital have additional delivery capacity, and that “West Hospital is located in an area with the greatest future demand for workforce and delivery services.”
West Hospital also serves Black women, who face infant mortality and racial disparities, as shown in a 2023 report. According to U.S. Census data from 2018 to 2022, the hospital's ZIP code area has a 37% Black population, higher than Fairfield's 17%. The population within the ZIP code of Anderson Hospital in Anderson Township is approximately 4% black. West Hospital is closer to Fairfield, with the shortest route being about 13 miles, compared to at least 47 miles for the Anderson Township-based hospital.
