Family maternity suites at Lincoln Memorial Hospital to close

LINCOLN, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — There will soon be one less place to go for labor and delivery services in Lincoln, Illinois.

Lincoln Memorial Hospital (LMH) is closing down its Family Maternity Suites at the end of the year, pending approval by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.

Part of the reason for the closure is due to a decrease in demand for such services at the hospital.

“In past decades, there was a major demand for labor and delivery at our hospital,” said LMH President and CEO Dolan Dalpoas. “Today, that demand has decreased and our focus has shifted to providing different kinds of care that better meet the needs of our community.”

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We're told all members of the unit’s nursing staff have been offered roles elsewhere at LMH or within another Memorial Health hospital.

“Throughout our 120-year history, we’ve constantly evolved and adapted to meet the needs of our patients, and this is the latest chapter in that story,” Dalpoas said. “While this was a difficult decision, it will allow us to focus our resources where the community needs them the most.”