Newport (Wash.) Hospital and Health Services reopened its birthing center June 1, Bonner County Daily Bee reported June 14.
The center closed in 2022 due to nursing shortages, officials said. The reopened center, which was renovated thanks to $40,000 raised by community members and partners, offers two private birthing suites with private bathrooms and accommodations for a birth partner.
Hospital officials told the Bee they expect to deliver fewer than 10 babies per month. The last birth at the hospital was in June 2022.
"When you're rural, as you know, you work with what you have, and you move forward and do what's best for your community," Jenny Smith, NHHS public information officer and director of strategy and community engagement, told the Bee. "It may not always pencil out financially, but we need the service. We need to provide access for our community, for our neighbors in Idaho, and we're happy to do it."