HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas — Seton Medical Center Harker Heights (SMCHH) announced on Thursday, June 29 that it will be closing its maternity care unit in the Fall.
SMCHH will begin phasing out deliveries and on Sept. 30, 2023 The Women's Center and Wellstone's obstetrics and gynecology practice will close.
According to SMCHH, this closure is due to the declining utilization of maternity care and other women's health services, paired with the lack of specialized providers necessary to maintain the center.
Chief Executive Officer Patrick Swindle stated, "Like all hospitals, we have a responsibility to ensure the services we provide are a reflection of community need. Given the many choices for obstetrical care in our area, we can no longer maintain a service without sufficient demand or long-term staffing support."
"This was a hard but necessary choice to ensure we remain financially strong and positioned to continue meeting the needs of the community -- now and into the future," Swindle added.
SMCHH staff will be assisting patients with getting the care they need in other places around the area over the next few weeks. Impacted staff members will have the chance to transfer to other departments or get priority consideration for any open positions.
Chief Medical Officer Bodie Correll stated, "We remain grateful for the amazing care provided by our dedicated team members, as well as the many patients and families who have allowed us the privilege of caring for them over the past decade."
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