A Clarke County hospital is ending labor and delivery services and instead will offer outpatient services only to receive more federal dollars.
Beginning August 16, the Grove Hill Memorial Hospital labor and delivery department will be discontinued.
The hospital board elected to discontinue inpatient services and change its status to “rural emergency hospital” in May. The decision means the hospital will receive more federal funding.
Grove Hill will still have a 24/7 emergency department, a clinical laboratory, diagnostic imaging, respiratory therapy, IV therapy and outpatient services, including surgeries.
Due to the new status, patients cannot stay hospitalized for over 24 hours.
Services in labor and delivery will stop at the end of business Friday.
Grove Hill Primary Care and Grove Hill Healthcare will not be affected.
East Alabama Medical Center – Lanier will also change its status to a rural emergency hospital. The designation was part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which created the “type” of hospital to allow struggling rural hospitals to continue medical services.
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