Press Release – Closure of Mammoth Hospital’s Labor and Delivery Unit

PUBLIC NOTICE – Closure of Mammoth Hospital’s Labor and Delivery Unit

6/21/2023 – Mammoth Lakes, CA – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Closure of Mammoth Hospital’s Labor and Delivery Unit

At a special meeting of the Southern Mono Healthcare District Board of Directors, the Board approved management’s recommendation to move from a temporary to permanent closure of its Labor and Delivery Unit.

Many factors weighed in the decision to not reopen the unit, which due to staffing shortages had been closed since January 2022. In addition to nursing shortages both locally and nationally, birth volume had declined at the hospital, making it difficult for staff to maintain skills.

“Low volume delivery of babies greatly affected the hospital’s ability to recruit and retain Obstetrics nurses,” said Caitlin Crunk, Mammoth Hospital Chief Nursing Officer. “Furthermore, studies show a strong correlation between delivery volumes and clinical outcomes for mother and baby.”

“The decision to not reopen the L&D Unit has been one of long and thoughtful consideration and carries much emotion” said Mammoth Hospital CEO Tom Parker. “Ultimately the recommendation to do so is based on the challenges low volume L&D units experience in terms of staff skill maintenance, clinical outcomes, and the lack of OB nurses willing to work in a low-volume L&D unit. I am most grateful to our colleagues at Northern Inyo Healthcare District who have been working with us to create a coordinated Women’s Health service for the Eastern Sierra.”

Mammoth Hospital and Northern Inyo Healthcare District have established a joint policy on “Perinatal Care in the Eastern Sierra,” providing specific requirements and guides for clinicians and support staff on the transition of care of patients to and from providers between the hospitals. The two hospitals are committed to maintaining strong care coordination, assuring handoffs go smoothly through the sharing of clinical records and confirming that test and exam results are available in the medical records of both hospitals.

As part of this commitment to ensure pregnant patients have a partner in their pregnancy experience, Mammoth Hospital hired a Women’s Health Nurse Navigator to assist patients with transitions between Mammoth Hospital and Northern Inyo Healthcare District providers and stay connected to patients through their pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum care. Mammoth Hospital is also committing financial resources to help patients with transitions including help they may need related to lodging and transportation.

Since Mammoth Hospital’s temporary closure of its Labor and Delivery Unit last year, more deliveries at Northern Inyo Healthcare District have given their staff more hands-on experience with over 200 babies a year now being delivered. “We are eager to continue our collaboration with Mammoth Hospital to optimize Labor & Delivery services in the Eastern Sierra,” says Allison Partridge, Chief Nursing Officer, Interim Chief Operations Officer, Northern Inyo Healthcare District. “We look forward to working together to provide exceptional perinatal care to all of our community members.”