Huntington, W.Va.-based St. Mary's Medical Center announced it will no longer offer childbirth services, NBC affiliate WSAZ reported July 21.
The medical center will cease obstetrics services Nov. 18.
"While childbirths have steadily decreased nationally over the past decade, the decline is even greater in our region due to a reduced number of women of childbearing age," Angie Swearingen, COO of St. Mary's Medical Center, said in a statement shared with WSAZ. "As such, the SMMC obstetrics unit will transition to a medical/surgical department with a focus on women’s health."
Patients will be referred to Cabell Huntington Hospital for obstetric care, another hospital in Mountain Health Network. Both are also based in Huntington.