Plains, Mont.-based Clark Fork Valley Hospital will end its labor and delivery services effective Jan. 1, 2024, NBC Montana reported Oct. 6.
Hospital officials cited declining patient numbers and difficulty with recruiting and maintaining staffers' skills due to the low volume as the reason for closing the service. In 2022, the hospital delivered 18 babies.
It will continue to provide maternal health services and has partnered with two obstetrical physicians to allow some prenatal care.