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Future of Geneseo hospital’s birth center in question

Hammond-Henry Hospital leadership is looking into the future of its Women’s Health and Birthing Center.

GENESEO, Illinois -- Hammond-Henry leadership is looking into the future of the hospital's Women's Health and Birthing Center. Three years ago, there was a similar review process of the birth center.

"This is really just part of the normal process that we're going through," said Jeff Lingerfelt, CEO of Hammond-Henry Hospital.

Lingerfelt says rural hospitals, also called, 'critical access' hospitals wrestle with the topic of offering birth center services.

"Currently there are over 56 critical access hospitals in the state, there are only 6 of us still delivering babies," said Lingerfelt.

The decision will be made based on whether or not the hospital can provide excellent, safe care for mothers at all times.

"As we work through this process, and it's just the very beginning stages, that will be the theme throughout is, can we deliver babies at Hammond-Henry hospital safely 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days out of the year," said Lingerfelt,

Hammond-Henry delivered 250 babies last year, it has three beds designated as LDRP (Labor, Delivery, Recovery, and Postpartum) rooms, as well as three other beds for over-flow. The hospital has a six bed capacity for birth center services. The hospital does not have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a service expecting mothers may want.

"If there were to be a situation that might not turn out well, or a risk involved, they would want to be close to a specialist; Have someone just down the hall, not someone down the interstate," said Lingerfelt.

When it comes to money, Lingerfelt says whether the hospital benefits financially from the birth center, is complicated.

"If you just look at it from a financial perspective, no, but we really, Hammond-Henry is here to serve the community. So there is a lot of services that we offer here that financially don't make a lot of sense for us - but it makes a lot of sense if we're committed to the care and the well being of the community."

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