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Hospital looks to cut cord on OB services

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Sonoma Valley Sun

The Sonoma Valley Hospital will decide Wednesday night if the facility should eliminate its obstetrics department, a cost-cutting move recommended by CEO Kelly Mather.

A second big vote, whether to cut the hospital’s Skilled Nursing Facility, has been dropped from the agenda due to “strong interest in the discussion,” Mather announced today.

The planned board meeting will address hospital administration recommendations for OB closure and the 2019 budget, which begins October The decisions are part of a larger and necessary plan to reinvent the hospital, Mather said in her latest blog. 

The number of babies delivered at the hospital has dropped steadily over the past few years, and the department loses money.

Investing in the hospital’s ‘birthing center’ was once thought to be a marketing opportunity, creating life-long patient relationships. But the financial losses since then have become untenable, officials say.

The hard look at cuts are part of the ongoing hospital efforts to reduce costs and maintain a focus on core community services, including the Emergency room.

The budget meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 25, at 6 pm in the Hospital’s basement conference room. The community is invited to attend and offer comments about the Hospital proposals.

The proposed closure of the Skilled Nursing Department will be debated at special meeting some time in the future. Stated Mather, “Due to the strong interest in this discussion, the capacity of the room we have available for the special board meeting, and the desire for more input from the staff, physicians and community about the SNF closure, the board chair and I have decided to remove the SNF closure proposal from (Wednesday night’s) special meeting agenda.”

The idea to close the OB unit met with a major backlash when first addressed in 2009.




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