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May 18, 2009
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Shenandoah Memorial Hospital to Refocus Care
Officials at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital announced this week that the Family Birthing Center at SMH will discontinue operations on June 30, 2009. The closure of the obstetrics unit is tied to the need to expand the number of inpatient beds available to care for the area’s growing senior population.
While births will no longer be performed at SMH, hospital president Floyd Heater noted that Shenandoah Women’s Care will continue to offer outpatient obstetrical (pre-natal) care, gynecological care and other health services to women of all ages in their offices in Woodstock.
Beginning July 1, 2009, physicians from Shenandoah Women’s Care will perform their deliveries at Warren Memorial Hospital (WMH) in Front Royal. Like SMH, WMH is a member of Valley Health. Shenandoah Women’s Care includes Dr. Tania Damavandy, Dr. Mark Haeberle and Dr. Margaret Loewith.
“Patients, including pregnant women, can continue to receive their care locally as they always have,” said Heater. “They will be encouraged to deliver their babies at the Women’s Care Center at Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal.”
Shenandoah Memorial Hospital is a federally designated Critical Access Hospital. The hospital currently operates 25 beds, the maximum number allowed for these facilities.
During periods of high demand, the hospital has reached capacity numerous times and been forced to transfer patients to other facilities. However, closing the Family Birthing Center will allow the hospital greater capacity to care for adult patients.
“Working with our board of directors we weighed our options carefully,” said Heater. “The decision was a difficult one; but in the end, the pressing needs of our adult population could not be ignored. And it was made easier knowing Warren Memorial Hospital has an excellent maternity unit.”
SMH, which operates one of the smallest maternity units in Virginia, delivered just 285 babies last year. Meanwhile, nearly one in five Shenandoah County residents is over the age of 65. This segment of the population is fast growing, and uses hospital services with the greatest frequency.
Eleven employees will be directly affected by this change. The Valley Health Human Resources department will make every effort to assist the Family Birthing Center staff members to find new positions. Affected employees will enter the Valley Health transition pool for three months and have an opportunity to move into appropriate positions elsewhere within the system.
“Shenandoah Memorial Hospital’s mission is to meet the needs of our community,” said Jim Long, chairman of the SMH board of directors. “Sometimes that involves change, even difficult change. However, this shift in focus will strengthen the hospital and allow us to continue to be a valued resource to residents of the county and neighboring areas.”
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