MaineHealth will close Lincoln Hospital’s labor and delivery unit in December
The hospital will keep prenatal and postpartum care in Damariscotta while shifting births to Mid Coast Hospital after months of low volumes and staffing shortages.
- On Thursday, The MaineHealth Board voted to close the birthing center at MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, transferring labor and delivery services to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick starting Dec. 18.
- MaineHealth officials stated the closure stems from staffing challenges and roughly 130 annual births, which they deemed insufficient to maintain stable, safe care under their new regional model.
- Opponents, including the Miles Delivers Action Coalition, unsuccessfully sought an emergency court injunction Wednesday to block the vote, citing concerns that patients face travel times of more than 40 minutes.
- Governor Janet Mills said she is "deeply disappointed" in the decision, while MaineHealth committed that it will not close any additional labor and delivery programs during the next two years.
- The move marks the 12th maternity unit in Maine to shutter since 2015, leaving fewer than half of Maine's 34 hospitals with labor and delivery services as the state faces ongoing workforce shortages.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Associated Press News
MaineHealth will close Lincoln Hospital’s labor and delivery unit in December
The MaineHealth board of trustees voted Thursday to close the labor and delivery unit of MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta after months of discussion and community pushback.
MaineHealth board votes to close midcoast hospital birthing unit
The board of MaineHealth has voted to close the birthing unit at Lincoln Hospital. In a written announcement Thursday, the health system committed to not close any other birthing units for the next two years. But officials say the roughly 130 annual births at the Damariscotta hospital are too few and they haven’t been able to maintain stable staffing despite recruitment efforts. With the closure of the unit, officials say they’ll create a new mo…
wiscassetnewspaper.com
Boothbay RegisterMaineHealth Lincoln Hospital advances new regional model for women’s health care
MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital will move forward with a new regional model for women’s health services that preserves comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care in Damariscotta, expands local gynecologic services and transitions inpatient Labor and Delivery services to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital effective Dec. 18, 2026.
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