Robbinsdale, Minn.-based North Memorial Health has closed the specialty nursery unit at its hospital in the city, the Star Tribune reported June 23.
The closure comes after years of declining births at the hospital, according to the report. The hospital reported 413 births in 2022, down from 549 in 2018. In addition to a statewide decline in births, North Memorial has seen more parents choose its newer, nearby hospital in Maple Grove, Minn. That hospital reported 4,591 births in 2022 and is the state's largest birthing center.
The system's vice president for medical affairs and medical director for labor and delivery services, Todd Stanhope, MD, said the unit became underused and unaffordable, especially after state lawmakers declined a request for special federal funding to help it overcome its financial deficits.
The nursery closure was announced in March along with the elimination of 103 jobs and outpatient mental health services, according to the report.
Despite the unit already being shuttered, a public hearing on the closure is scheduled for June 27, according to the report.