Starting Dec. 20, all Mercy Health-West Hospital OB labor and delivery services will transition to Mercy Health-Anderson Hospital, about a 30-minute drive from Mercy Health-West.

This year, five more California hospitals have stopped providing obstetric care, and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital will be the fifth in L.A. County to close labor and delivery within a two-year period.

Hemet Global Medical Center plans to have its labor and delivery department closed by the end of October, citing a shortage of physicians and low birth numbers at the hospital.

MercyOne Newton Medical Center will pause labor and delivery care "indefinitely" after Oct. 15, blaming a decade-long challenge in recruiting doctors.

By Francie Swidler • Published July 2, 2025 • Updated on July 3, 2025 at 7:58 am Log in or create a free profile to save articles BOOKMARKER File photo of a labor and delivery room at a hospital ...

Over 500 hospitals have closed their labor and delivery departments since 2010, according to a large new study, leaving most rural hospitals and more than a third of urban hospitals without ...