The MaineHealth board of trustees has decided to close the labor and delivery unit at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta. This decision, made after extensive discussions and community protests, will take effect on December 18. Services will relocate to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, according to MaineHealth’s announcement.

This closure is the 12th of its kind in Maine since 2015. As a result, areas such as Lincoln, Waldo, and Sagadahoc counties will be without hospital maternity services. Less than half of the state’s 34 hospitals will offer birthing options.

Several political figures, including Gov. Janet Mills and U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree, urged the hospital to delay their decision to ensure birthing services in Damariscotta remained available. The board has assured that no other labor and delivery units will close in the next two years. They have called for state lawmakers and the next governor to gather hospitals and medical professionals to discuss rural maternity care challenges.

MaineHealth cited low birth rates and staffing difficulties as reasons for the closure. They stressed that effective maternity care needs a dedicated team available to handle both routine and emergencies round-the-clock. The health system’s press release stated that after an assessment, no sustainable staffing model was identified for long-term care.

The transition involves a shift to a regional model. This connects OB-GYN services at hospitals in Damariscotta and Brunswick. While prenatal and postpartum care, such as ultrasounds and counseling, will continue at Lincoln Hospital, patients will travel to Brunswick or another location for delivery.

Community tension preceded this decision. The Miles Delivers Action Coalition, formed to oppose the closure, argued against the hospital’s reasoning. They organized meetings and protests, even near the vote date. Their statement committed to exploring every avenue to maintain maternity care in Lincoln County. As they noted, “A hospital where you can no longer be born is hardly a hospital at all.”

Amid these events, a pregnant woman from Lincoln County due to give birth in January, supported by the coalition, filed a lawsuit against MaineHealth. She aimed to prevent the board’s vote. Although a judge denied her emergency injunction request, seeking a permanent block on the closure remains.

Hannah Pingree, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, criticized the board’s decision. She remarked that moms and families in Lincoln County would face hardship due to births occurring further from home, with fewer resources in emergencies.