OhioHealth Announces Updates to Maternity and Women's Health Services at OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital

Key Takeaways:

• OhioHealth will discontinue inpatient maternity services at OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital effective July 31, 2026.
• Obstetric volumes are decreasing in rural and suburban areas nationally and in local markets.
• Many families in Delaware County are choosing OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital for their delivery care, which provide 24/7 on-site obstetric provider availability and a higher level of newborn care through their partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Prenatal, postnatal and gynecologic care will continue locally in Delaware County, and OhioHealth is expanding women's health services with added specialty gynecology support.

OhioHealth will discontinue inpatient maternity unit services at OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, effective Friday, July 31. The decision follows a careful evaluation by a team of experts, including specialty physicians, who reviewed all aspects of the inpatient maternity program.

At OhioHealth, our patients are at the center of all we do. That's why we thoughtfully consider the services we provide. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, the services offered in our hospitals will also evolve to meet our community's needs. Obstetric volumes are decreasing in rural and suburban areas nationally and in local markets. During the last fiscal year, fewer than 10 percent of babies born in the OhioHealth health system to families living in Delaware County were delivered at Grady Memorial.

"Decisions like this carry real weight, and we don't take them lightly. Our priority is making sure every mother and newborn has access to the level of care they deserve, including around-the-clock obstetric support and advanced newborn resources that most community hospitals are not equipped to provide." Cherie Smith, PhD, MBA, RN, OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital and OhioHealth Dublin Methodist, said. "Across the country, more families are choosing larger hospitals for labor and delivery, and we want to make sure our patients have every advantage when it matters most."

These changes in no way reflect the hard work and dedication of the Grady Memorial maternity department associates or providers, nor the compassion that they have for their patients in and around Delaware County. As we look at the continued trends in labor and delivery, we want to make sure higher-level resources and support are available for our obstetric patients.

Many families in Delaware County are already choosing OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital for their delivery care. Both hospitals provide 24/7 on-site obstetric provider availability and a higher level of newborn care through their partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital. Transitioning deliveries to these locations ensures mothers and their babies have access to the most comprehensive maternity services, advanced medical support, and specialized newborn care available.

Many essential services for patients and families will remain in Delaware. Patients can continue to receive prenatal, postnatal, and gynecologic care from OhioHealth Physician Group (OPG) Obstetrics and Gynecology in Delaware, Lewis Center, and Jerome.

Grady Memorial's emergency department teams are fully equipped, trained, and prepared to safely support and deliver babies for any patient who arrives in labor or requires an emergency delivery.

OhioHealth is also expanding other services. OPG Obstetrics and Gynecology in Delaware, Lewis Center, and Jerome will add a gynecologist to expand access to urogynecology and specialty pelvic surgery.