California lawmaker plans to address maternity ward closures
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California Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) announced last week that she will introduce legislation this month to address the abrupt maternity ward closures revealed by a recent CalMatters investigation.
- The bill, if passed, will change the state review process to include an assessment of community impact before a maternity ward closes.
Why it matters: Maternal mortality rates are worsening in San Diego County and across California, with pregnancy-related deaths reaching a 10-year high in 2020.
- Meanwhile, the alarming rate of maternity ward closures means residents, particularly in Latino and low-income communities, are losing access to obstetrics services and maternity care, per CalMatters.
What's happening: At least 46 California hospitals have shut down or indefinitely suspended labor and delivery services since 2012, leaving 12 counties without any hospitals delivering babies, according to CalMatters' analysis.
- More than half of the maternity ward and hospital closures have taken place in the last three years.
- Hospital administrators and experts say the closures are driven by high costs, inflation, labor shortages and declining birth rates, CalMatters previously reported.
Zoom in: In San Diego County, Palomar Medical Center Poway and Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside closed their maternity wards in 2023. Paradise Valley Hospital in National City closed its maternity ward in 2021 and Fallbrook Hospital shuttered in 2014.
- The crisis is worse in neighboring Imperial County, which has only one hospital to deliver the approximately 2,500 babies born every year since El Centro Regional Medical Center closed its maternity ward a year ago.
Between the lines: The closure at Tri-City Medical Center was due to "current and expected financial losses," plus staffing shortages. El Centro hospital officials told CalMatters the closure "was necessary for financial reasons."
- Earlier this year, the state found both hospitals were financially distressed and granted them interest-free loans of around $30 million each.
What they're saying: Weber, who is also an OB-GYN, said in a statement that she's concerned that these l closures will amplify the already rising mortality rates and plans to work with stakeholders and state departments to develop a "feasible proposal."
What we're watching: Weber's measure has not yet been introduced, but the Legislature reconvenes this week. The last day to introduce bills is Feb. 16.