MaineHealth to Close Damariscotta Maternity Unit Amid Community Pushback

The board of trustees for MaineHealth has decided to close the labor and delivery unit at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta. This decision follows months of discussions and opposition from the community. The closure is set for December 18, and maternity services will be transferred to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick.

This closure adds to a troubling trend in Maine, where 11 other maternity units have shut down since 2015. It leaves Lincoln, Waldo, and Sagadahoc counties without birthing facilities. Consequently, fewer than half of the state’s 34 hospitals will offer maternity care.

Despite calls from Governor Janet Mills, U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, and gubernatorial candidates to delay this decision, MaineHealth is proceeding. The board has committed to not closing any more labor and delivery units for the next two years. They have urged state lawmakers and the next governor to meet with hospitals and medical professionals to address challenges in rural maternity care.

MaineHealth cited low birth rates and staffing difficulties as the reasons for their decision. The health system stated, “Providing maternity care requires a team of physicians, nurses, anesthesia professionals, and support staff who can respond at any time to routine and emergency situations.” They concluded they could not maintain a safe and reliable staffing model for the long term.

In response, the Miles Delivers Action Coalition formed to challenge the closure. This grassroots organization has contested MaineHealth’s rationale, engaging with leadership and organizing protests. Despite these efforts, the board’s decision has gone forward. The coalition vowed to explore all legal and community avenues to preserve maternity care in Lincoln County.

A pregnant woman, due in January, filed a lawsuit with the coalition’s backing to halt the vote. A judge denied an emergency injunction request, though a permanent injunction request is still pending. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree criticized the move, stating, “MaineHealth had a choice, and I believe they made the wrong one today. Women will still give birth, just farther from home, with fewer safety nets if something goes wrong.”

This article was initially published by The Maine Monitor and shared through a partnership with The Associated Press.