St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia is set to close its labor and delivery unit in 40 days, forcing patients to seek care at alternative locations.
St. Mary’s said in a statement, there were many factors including recruiting new doctors and finding funding sources.
But that “recent congressional cuts to Medicaid solidified this decision.”
“I was really nervous about it and shook up,” Mia Crump, a new mother who delivered her baby at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart, told Channel 2’s Candace McCowan.
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Rep. Michelle Au, a doctor and representative from Johns Creek, said about the impact, “All these things stack up to prevent patients from getting patients regular prenantal care, maintenance care and in an emergency having that barrier to receiving timely urgent care, all these things many of our outcomes in outlying communities are not as good as people who live close.”
The closure will also affect the Clear Creek OB/GYN practice, where many patients, including Crump, received prenatal care.
St. Mary’s is now referring patients to its Athens location and is working to support doctors and staff who will be impacted by the closure.
Crump expressed her surprise at the closure.
“It kind of shocked me because I love Dr. White," Crump said.
The hospital assured that its emergency room will remain equipped to handle emergency births, providing some relief to expectant mothers in the area.
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