Providence said it is ending labor and delivery at Petaluma (Calif.) Valley Hospital effective May 1 until further notice, The Press Democrat reported April 11.
Renton, Wash.-based Providence said in a statement that the hospital's birthing center did not have the necessary staffing and resources to function safely, according to the report. Efforts to permanently secure obstetrics anesthesia and recruit physicians were unsuccessful.
"Petaluma Valley Hospital will continue to meet its [Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act] obligations and provide emergency services for OB patients who present themselves to the hospital's emergency department," Providence said in its statement, according to the report.