CHI St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton delivered an average of 334 babies per year from 2021-23.

LA GRANDE — Officials at several regional medical facilities say they understand why Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Baker City made the decision to shut down its birthing center but have no plans to follow suit.

The Baker City hospital announced on Thursday, June 22, that its birthing center will close July 30.

In announcing the pending closure, Saint Alphonsus cited a decline in the number of babies delivered there — from 128 in 2020 to a projected 75 this year — as well as the difficulty in employing enough nurses in the obstetrics department.

“Hearing the news about the Baker City hospital was not a complete surprise,” said Cam Marlowe, chief executive officer of the Blue Mountain Hospital District in John Day. “It is very difficult for small, rural hospitals to make enough money to support/cover all of the services that should be offered to isolated, frontier communities, including OB care.”

Marlowe said the Blue Mountain Hospital District faces the same challenges, including an OB labor shortage, high costs of staff in the department, low volumes and constant insurance reimbursement cutbacks.

However, he added, the Grant County hospital remains committed to providing maternity care.

“Blue Mountain Hospital District is not considering doing away with OB services,” Marlowe said.

Amy Kreger, who chairs the Blue Mountain Hospital District board, echoed that statement.

“We have zero intentions of reducing care in pregnancy, birth or well-child care,” she said.

Marlowe added that Blue Mountain Hospital averages about 50 births a year.

Brooke Pace, the director of communications and experience at Wallowa Memorial Hospital, said the Enterprise hospital does not expect the announced closure at St. Alphonsus to affect it directly.

The hospital offers maternity and obstetric services.

“However, the closure does underscore the challenges of providing OB services in a rural setting,” she said.

In 2021, Wallowa Memorial had 48 births, according to figures from the Oregon Health Authority.

Capacity to fill breach

When Saint Alphonsus closes the birth center at the end of July the nearest hospital with a maternity department will be Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.

Candis Smith, community engagement coordinator and backup public information officer at Grande Ronde Hospital, said the hospital is prepared and has the capacity to care for those who choose to receive OB services in La Grande.

On average, Grande Ronde Hospital provides care for around 220 births a year, Smith said. Within the first three months of 2023, there have been 62 births in Union County and almost all of those have been at Grande Ronde Hospital, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

“We are saddened to see vital service lines, like obstetrics, close in our region. Reduced access to quality health care in rural communities across the nation is a regrettable trend affecting so many, and it hits the hardest when it affects our friends, neighbors and colleagues,” Smith said.

This is a trend that Grande Ronde Hospital has been tracking for a few years, according to Smith.

“It takes all of us committing to choose local health care to keep this kind of robust access available, and we appreciate all of our friends and neighbors who do so,” she said.

Not expecting influx

Emily Smith, the communications director for CHI St. Anthony Hospital, said the Pendleton hospital does not anticipate an influx of obstetrics patients because of the birthing center closure in Baker City.

“I’m not sure people will drive that far, but if they need to or want to, we will definitely do our best to accommodate any new patients,” she said.

St. Anthony’s birthing center averages 330-340 deliveries a year, Smith said, and has a triage room, an operating suite, five labor and delivery rooms, a postpartum room and a pair of smaller “flex” rooms.

Expecting mothers require frequent visits and care.

Given the distance between Pendleton and Baker City, a drive of almost 100 miles on Interstate 84, she said she wasn’t sure many people would be willing to travel that far.

Smith also said as far as she knew, St. Anthony’s birthing center is not in danger of closing.