Yahoo Autos Heywood Hospital remains committed to maternity care
While UMass Memorial is planning to close its obstetric and maternity services at UMass Health Alliance in Leominster, Heywood Hospital is taking the opposite approach.
In a press release issued this week, Heywood Hospital CEO Win Brown said that Heywood Hospital is ready to support regional obstetric and maternity care to aid those women who need care in North Central Massachusetts.
UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital filed a 120 day notice of closure for its maternity ward including labor and delivery beds and well infant nursery beds with the Department of Public Health on May 26 with an expected closure date of Sept. 22. The notice indicated that a 90 day notice of closure would be filed on or about June 24.
More: UMass Memorial wants to close Leominster maternity ward; lawmakers vow to fight
More: Mass. nurses union assails UMass Memorial plan to close Leominster maternity unit
Heywood Hospital responding to the need
“In response to the closure announcement, we will swiftly engage with our obstetrics team and medical staff to assess how we can extend our services in order to meet the needs of women seeking obstetrical and gynecological healthcare in the greater Leominster and Fitchburg area,” Brown stated in a press release.
The press release indicated that the hospital’s LaChance Center for Maternity Care was nationally recognized byNewsweek as a Best Maternity Hospital, and offers highly skilled obstetric and gynecological care. Heywood’s LaChance Maternity Center offers several options to help manage the discomfort of labor in a comfortable environment. Heywood currently supports approximately 300 births annually.
“While this is a challenging time for hospitals, we will endeavor to extend our mission of caring to those who will benefit from our exceptional care.
In the press release Brown also announced that the hospital is on schedule to reopen its inpatient mental health unit early this fall.
"Upgrades to the unit and recruitment efforts are underway,” Brown said in the press release.
More: Nurses call for return of 'essential services' at Heywood Hospital
UMass not the only hospital closing units
While Heywood Hospital is keeping its maternity department open, the pediatric sub-unit at the hospital will be officially closed as of July 3.
In its notification to the state Department of Public Health, the seven bed pediatric unit at Heywood has not had an admission in over three years - since early March 2020, and was temporarily closed in April 2021. Efforts to hire skilled pediatric nurses and to train medical/surgical nurses already on staff both proved unsuccessful. The beds will be designated as medical-surgical beds once the closure is finalized.
More: 'Bad timing' ends proposed merger of UMass Memorial Health and Heywood Healthcare
Last year, UMass and Heywood Hospitals signed a letter of intent to explore a possible merger, but it was announced in January 2023 that for financial reasons the merger conversations were terminated.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Heywood Hospital maternity care UMass Memorial Health Alliance
