Ochsner St. Mary will end labor, delivery services

Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City will end labor and delivery services April 1 while committing to providing more adult medical services for an aging population, the hospital said Wednesday in a press release.

Labor and delivery services will be consolidated at Ochsner St. Anne in nearby Raceland. In addition to Ochsner St. Anne, three other local hospitals provide labor and delivery services.

Over the past several years, deliveries at Ochsner St. Mary have totaled less than 200 each year and less than 16 per month, on average, the hospital said. Among the five area hospitals that provide labor and deliver services, Ochsner St. Mary accounts for fewer than 7% of the total births in the region.

According to the Louisiana Hospital Association’s 2022 ShareCor Utilization Report, Ochsner St. Mary delivered the fewest babies among the 66 reporting hospitals in Louisiana.

Population data estimates from St. Mary Parish project a 6.2% decline in woman of childbearing age, whereas the number of adults turning 65 will grow by 10.9% over the same period. Realigning service priorities paves the way for greater enhancements to adult service offerings, the hospital said.

All 23 Ochsner employees affected will be offered positions currently available at Ochsner St. Mary, positions in the women’s services department at Ochsner St. Anne or other vacancies across Ochsner Health.

“We continuously evaluate the services offered at the hospital along with our annual community health needs assessment,” said Fernis LeBlanc, CEO, Ochsner Bayou Region. “While it was a difficult decision, and one we did not make in haste, it is the best overall direction for our community. We are committed to our patients and employees, and this change gives us the opportunity to bring new services to meet the needs of our community’s aging population.”

Ochsner St. Mary will continue to offer many services for women, such as gynecological surgery, 3D mammography and bone density scans, in keeping care close to home.

The hospital is in the process of notifying current patients and expectant mothers of the change.

Ochsner St. Anne recently completed a renovation to its women’s center which includes new labor and delivery suites.