Samaritan Health Services’ maternity care services at its Lincoln City and Lebanon hospitals are on the chopping block.
The Corvallis-based nonprofit health network is evaluating whether to close the Girod Birth Center at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital and the maternity ward at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. Local city officials and nursing staff say they were notified of the potential closures and that the health system would seek community feedback before any decisions are made.
The move is the latest sign of the challenging financial landscape for hospital systems — and the cost-cutting they have embraced as a response…