DELAWARE, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)– OhioHealth has announced the closure of the inpatient maternity unit at Grady Memorial Hospital, effective July 31. 

The decision comes as part of the health system’s response to declining birth volumes and a strategic initiative to direct patients to hospitals offering higher-level neonatal care.

The closure has ignited considerable opposition within the local community. Key details regarding the situation are as follows:

Closure Overview:

– Effective Date: July 31

– Unit Closing: Inpatient maternity (labor and delivery) unit

– Continuing Services: Prenatal, postnatal, and gynecologic care will remain available locally, and the emergency department will be equipped to handle emergency deliveries.

Patient Routing: With the maternity unit’s closure, expectant mothers will need to travel to larger facilities for delivery, specifically OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital or OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Reasons for Closure:

– Declining Birth Volumes: OhioHealth reported that less than 10% of babies born to Delaware County residents were delivered at Grady Memorial in the past fiscal year.

– Advanced Care Availability: The health system emphasized that larger hospitals provide continuous obstetric coverage and advanced neonatal resources, including partnerships with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which smaller community hospitals cannot offer.

– Job Impact: The closure will result in the loss of 37 employee positions at Grady Memorial.

Community and Political Response:

Local opposition is growing, with nurses, patients, and healthcare advocates expressing concerns that this decision could leave the rapidly expanding Delaware area without a delivery option, potentially creating what they describe as a “maternity desert.”

In response, the Delaware City Council unanimously passed an emergency resolution urging OhioHealth to reconsider the closure.

Additionally, the resolution calls for the Ohio Attorney General to intervene and uphold a 2005 affiliation agreement that allegedly mandates OhioHealth to maintain essential maternity services in the area. The Attorney General’s office is currently reviewing this legislation.

Marion County Now will provide updates as they become available.