Julie Ball

The Citizen-Times

SPRUCE PINE - Mission Health is considering moving labor and delivery services offered at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine to McDowell Hospital in Marion.

“A final decision has not yet been made, but we are reviewing a proposal to combine the two programs at McDowell Hospital where there is a stable, high quality OB-GYN practice and a new, state-of-the-art replacement hospital will soon open,” Mission Health CEO Ron Paulus said in written responses to questions.

Mission will make a final decision “in the coming months,” according to Paulus.

Labor and delivery services would be consolidated at McDowell Hospital and no longer available at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital under the proposal.

Small rural hospitals are struggling to keep labor and delivery services, which typically lose money.

Mission Health announced last month that it was ending the labor and delivery services offered at Angel Medical Center in Franklin. That decision sparked anger and concern from the community. Those services are slated to end in July.

According to Mission officials, Angel staff members handled around 400 births last year. The average at the hospital has been around 260.

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital performs far fewer deliveries, just 173 last year. That was the third fewest in the state, according to Paulus.

McDowell Hospital handled the fifth fewest deliveries with 187 last year.

“Our Blue Ridge and McDowell physicians and nurses have been delivering excellent care to our mothers and babies, but we currently face the very important and challenging issue of too few births at either hospital,” Paulus said. “While there is no ‘magic’ number of births in total or per provider, we know from research across many different clinical disciplines that higher program volumes and greater individual provider and care team experience produces better outcomes.”

Blue Ridge also lacks around-the-clock surgical coverage, “which is another recommended quality standard,” according to Paulus.

“This challenge is further exacerbated at Blue Ridge, where a small number of births is spread across numerous delivering providers, and there is no material growth forecast in deliveries for the future,” Paulus said.

Mission is building a new facility to replace McDowell Hospital. The new hospital is under construction in front of the existing hospital.

The new McDowell facility will include five “state-of-the-art birthing suites, and three inpatient/outpatient operating rooms, including a dedicated C-Section room,” Paulus said.

“This extraordinary new facility will offer expectant mothers and families a substantial upgrade over what is currently available at either hospital,” he said.

The new hospital is slated to open early next year.

“Should the decision be made to consolidate, Mission Health is committed to a smooth transition for expectant mothers at (Blue Ridge),” Paulus said.

