Memorial Hospital of Carbon County in Rawlins, Wyo., will end its labor and delivery services June 15, Wyoming Public Radio reported May 12.
The hospital is about 100 miles from another facility, according to the station.
Although staffing was always a challenge for the rural hospital, it worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephanie Hinkle, the hospital's marketing and communication director, told the station.
The hospital lost five nurses in the labor and delivery department and had to replace them with travel nurses. The hospital is currently spending $100,000 a week on travel nurses, according to the station.
"Ultimately, the decision was made between the cost of staffing OB-GYN and these traveling positions. Really by eliminating the service line," Ms. Hinkle told Wyoming Public Radio. "That's what is going to enable us to pull out of this financial hole and be able to continue to provide healthcare to Carbon County."
The hospital is trying to form a partnership so it can continue to offer labor and delivery services.