Article
The closures
Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital in Weston said on March 25 that it will stop delivering babies after May 1. The hospital pointed to difficulty recruiting full-time clinical staff and declining birth rates in the region. Gynecological, prenatal and postpartum care will continue, the hospital is planning a new facility with inpatient and outpatient services, and the clinical team is building individual transition plans for every obstetric patient. Nearby options named by the hospital include WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon, WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg and Vandalia Health Davis Medical Center in Elkins.
Vandalia Health Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Lewisburg is closing its labor and delivery unit on April 24 for similar reasons. Its deliveries fell from 388 in 2022 to 241 in 2025. Becker’s has counted 29 organizations that ended maternity care in 2025.
Why the decision is getting harder to avoid
A birthing unit needs obstetric clinicians, anesthesia coverage and trained nurses available around the clock, whether the unit delivers one baby a day or one a week. When births decline, the fixed cost per delivery rises and recruiting becomes harder, since clinicians prefer enough volume to maintain their skills. For many rural hospitals, the choice is no longer whether the service is valued but whether it can be staffed safely.
What a responsible transition includes
Closing deliveries does not end a hospital’s obstetric responsibilities. Women will still arrive in active labor, and some will have complications. Leaders who are considering or carrying out a closure should cover these points:
- Emergency readiness: Train emergency department staff for precipitous births and obstetric hemorrhage, stock the right supplies, and run drills.
- Transfer agreements: Set clear transfer protocols and transport arrangements with receiving hospitals, including weather and distance contingencies.
- Prenatal continuity: Keep prenatal and postpartum visits local where possible and share records smoothly with the delivering hospital.
- Patient outreach: Contact every patient expected to deliver in the coming months with a named delivery site and a plan.
- Community communication: Explain the reasons openly, describe what services remain, and report back on how the transition is working.
Systems that own several rural hospitals should also look at regional coverage as a whole, so that closures at neighboring facilities do not leave a wider area without a reachable birthing unit.
Archive entry for Mar 29, 2026, added Nov. 11, 2026.