West Hills Hospital will close its obstetrics program effective Nov. 1, the health care organization announced earlier this month.The hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Mother/Baby; Labor and Delivery; and Nursery sections will be removed, with 35 beds and 55 staff members impacted.Administration will work with program staff to offer career development training options within the hospital system, and are currently working on deciding how to repurpose the space.Management reached the decision to close these facilities after observing a “significant decline” in the number of babies born at the hospital over several years, the hospital said in a statement.Year to date, the hospital is down almost 20 percent with about 35 deliveries each month, a representative with West Hills said in an email to the Business Journal — 893 babies were delivered in 2015, compared to 511 last year.“At the same time, the hospital is experiencing greater demand for other medical and surgical needs in other areas like cardiology, neurosciences and orthopedics,” West Hills Hospital said in a statement. “By making this change, we will be better able to devote resources to other services that are now in greater demand.”The hospital “will work closely with the obstetrical medical staff to maintain continuity of care for its patients. We will also continue to provide emergency care services, including OB/GYN, to all patients,” West Hills said.Closest facilities to offer comparable services include Northridge Hospital, Providence Tarzana, and Valley Presbyterian in Van Nuys.West Hills Hospital is owned by HCA Healthcare in Nashville, Tenn.
