Avera Granite Falls (Minn.) Health Center is ending labor and delivery services as it moves to a shared regional model for this care, according to a news release shared with Becker's Oct. 19.
The hospital, part of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Health, and Avera Medical Group will continue to provide clinic-based prenatal, postnatal and well-baby care. Labor and delivery services will transfer from Avera Granite Falls to Avera Marshall (Minn.) Regional Medical Center, although Avera Granite Falls will still be available for labor and delivery emergencies.
Avera Granite Falls attributed the move to challenges such as a relatively low volume of labor and delivery patients, while maintaining medical staff who are fully trained for labor and delivery services.
"Avera Granite Falls Health Center has been proud to provide high quality labor and delivery services for many years. Yet there are aspects of labor and delivery services that are challenging for a small rural hospital," Tom Kooiman, administrator of Avera Granite Falls, said in a news release.
Avera Granite Falls said the transition, slated for after Jan. 1, allows expansion of services to include obstetrics and gynecology services plus additional family practice physicians with obstetrics training and nurse midwives. No jobs will be eliminated as part of the move.