The health system is consolidating services at UPMC Wellsboro Hospital, about 35 miles away, but will continue to provide outpatient women’s healthcare at Cole Hospital, according to the report.
“Through the work of our local UPMC Magee-Womens teams, we are expanding outpatient women’s health services across the region, including at UPMC Cole in Coudersport and UPMC Wellsboro,” Ethan Gable, MD, medical director of women’s health services at UPMC Cole, said in a statement provided to Becker’s. “Part of this work includes centralizing UPMC Cole’s childbirth delivery services to UPMC Wellsboro beginning on April 7, while focusing on enhancing prenatal, postnatal and specialty women’s health services at UPMC Cole and UPMC Wellsboro.”
The health system said UPMC Magee-Womens teams at UPMC Cole and Wellsboro aim to provide expectant parents with personalized, concierge-style care while addressing transportation and access needs.
“Clinical specialty and nursing workforce challenges are prevalent in rural healthcare and are not unique to Coudersport and the teams at UPMC Cole,” Dr. Gable said. “We believe that this decision to expand pre- and post-natal care and centralize childbirth delivery services will stabilize, strengthen and improve healthcare for the north central Pa. region for years to come.”