NEWPORT, Wash. — The new birthing center hadn't been open long when the Newport hospital got its first customer.
The center, which was celebrated at a brief grand reopening ceremony, opened June 1 after closing in 2022.
"Most rural hospitals are choosing to close their obstetrics units, but through the commitment of our board and our teams, we are choosing to keep this service in the community," Merry-Ann Keane, Newport Hospital and Health Services CEO, said.
Hospital officials said they expect to deliver fewer than 10 babies per month. Prior to the recent delivery, the last birth at the hospital was in June 2022. On average, the hospital delivered 65-70 births a year prior to closing in June 2022.
"That's why most rural hospitals cannot sustain an obstetrics program," said Jenny Smith, NHHS public information officer and director of strategy and community engagement. "We have to have nurses on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for whenever that patient needs to come in. And so it definitely is an investment in the community."
To read the full story, visit our news partner the Bonner County Daily Bee.
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