Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee is transitioning its labor and delivery service to other Ascension Wisconsin locations.
Ascension Wisconsin, part of St. Louis-based Ascension, confirmed the news in a statement shared with Becker's Dec. 20.
The statement says Ascension St. Francis Hospital will transition its labor and delivery service to Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee and Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital-St. Joseph Campus in Milwaukee.
The last day for admission to the labor and delivery unit at Ascension St. Francis will be Dec. 21, and the last planned discharge will be Dec. 23.
Workers in the labor and delivery unit at Ascension St. Francis will provide additional maternal and fetal expertise in the hospital's emergency room through Jan. 7, according to Ascension Wisconsin. Ascension St. Francis will continue to provide gynecologic, prenatal and postpartum care.
Ascension Wisconsin said the consolidation "ensures access to the most comprehensive labor, delivery and postpartum services to all Ascension Wisconsin moms and babies."
Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals opposes the move, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
The union specifically expressed concerns about the jobs of members and that the move "will deepen existing health inequities, further marginalize populations that have been marginalized, and ultimately cost lives," the newspaper reported.
Ascension Wisconsin said it "is committed to supporting Ascension St. Francis associates through this transition. Plans are in place to work with impacted associates to determine potential opportunities for transitioning to open positions at other Ascension Wisconsin facilities."