Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago will close its obstetrics unit in August, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The hospital's board of directors made a unanimous vote to shutter the unit, which stopped accepting patients in April, due to low patient numbers. William Dorsey, MD, CEO of Jackson Park, told the Chicago Sun-Times in a written statement, "Although we do not want to take services away from the community and we have resisted this move for a few years, it is our responsibility to protect the viability of the hospital and preserve the 800 jobs in the community."
Nurses, physicians and other hospital employees rebuked the closing. A representative for the nurses at the hospital told the Chicago Sun-Times Jackson Park's obstetrics unit isn't being advertised adequately. The hospital refitted its labor and delivery services in 2012, according to the report.
Staff affected by the closure have been offered positions elsewhere in the hospital, according to the report.