DAMARISCOTTA, Maine — A grassroots coalition fighting to preserve labor and delivery services at MaineHealth’s Miles Campus has released what it describes as a comprehensive, evidence-based rebuttal to the health system’s rationale for considering closure of the hospital’s maternity unit, arguing that alternatives have not been fully explored and urging hospital leaders to delay any final decision.
The Miles Delivers Action Coalition announced Tuesday that it had completed an independent review of MaineHealth’s public statements, community forums and televised interviews regarding the future of Labor and Delivery services at Lincoln Hospital’s Miles Campus. According to the coalition, researchers compared the hospital’s stated reasons for reviewing the unit with peer-reviewed medical literature, government reports and other publicly available data.
The report concludes that while the challenges identified by MaineHealth, including declining birth volume, staffing shortages and financial pressures, are genuine, none necessarily require eliminating local labor and delivery services. Instead, the coalition argues that rural hospitals across the country have maintained obstetric care through workforce redesign, innovative staffing models and regional partnerships.
“The bottom line is that every justification MaineHealth has offered is a real operational challenge,” the coalition said in its report. “But none of them require closing Labor & Delivery outright.”
Among the coalition’s strongest arguments is its contention that birth volume alone should not determine whether a maternity unit remains open. MaineHealth has cited relatively low delivery numbers and has said only about one-third of Lincoln County births occur at Miles. The coalition counters that no major medical organization establishes a minimum annual birth threshold below which a labor and delivery unit becomes unsafe, and argues that patient confidence, referral patterns and years of uncertainty surrounding the unit have likely influenced where expectant mothers choose to give birth.
The report also points to a more than 40% increase in births following previous investments in the maternity program and the restoration of the hospital’s Baby-Friendly designation, suggesting demand can grow when confidence in the service is restored.
Another major focus of the coalition’s report concerns emergency care. MaineHealth officials have emphasized that emergency department physicians are trained to manage obstetric emergencies should Labor and Delivery close. The coalition argues that emergency departments are designed as a safety net rather than a replacement for dedicated obstetric care and says shifting childbirth emergencies onto emergency physicians, EMS crews and families increases risk rather than reducing it.
The coalition also disputes comparisons made by MaineHealth between obstetrics and other specialties, such as urology, where physicians already share regional coverage. Labor, the report notes, is inherently unpredictable and can become life-threatening within minutes, making it fundamentally different from scheduled outpatient specialties.
Financial considerations also receive significant attention in the report. Coalition members contend that despite MaineHealth’s statements that the review is not primarily about cutting costs, the factors cited by hospital leadership, including staffing expenses and birth volume, are fundamentally financial in nature. The report contrasts those concerns with the economic burden closure would place on Lincoln County families through longer travel times, additional childcare costs, lodging expenses and missed work.
Perhaps the coalition’s most detailed proposal involves staffing alternatives. Rather than relying exclusively on recruiting OB-GYN physicians, the report recommends that MaineHealth examine Family Medicine Obstetrics fellowships, expanded use of certified nurse midwives, tele-obstetrics, regional call-sharing arrangements and other workforce models already operating successfully in rural communities elsewhere in the country. The report notes that Lincoln Hospital already has a family physician involved in maternity care, which coalition members believe could serve as the foundation for expanding such a model.
The coalition also raises concerns about travel times should the birthing unit close. Citing national research and Maine data, it argues that longer drives to maternity care increase the likelihood of unplanned out-of-hospital births and place additional demands on already strained ambulance services, particularly during Lincoln County’s busy summer tourist season.
Beyond the medical arguments, coalition members criticize the timeline established by MaineHealth. The review process began in late May, community listening sessions were held in early June, and the hospital’s board is expected to consider a final decision Aug. 6. The coalition is asking MaineHealth to postpone any closure decision for 18 to 36 months while additional staffing models, funding opportunities and regional partnerships are fully evaluated.
The report also argues that the process has not allowed sufficient time for meaningful community engagement and emphasizes the longstanding relationship between Lincoln Hospital and the residents it serves, describing the hospital as an “anchor institution” whose future should be shaped in partnership with the community.
Leslie Wolf, a member of the Miles Delivers Action Coalition and an expectant first-time mother due to deliver at Miles later this year, said the group hopes the research will demonstrate that closure is not the only option.
The coalition’s complete report, including citations and supporting research, is available at milesdelivers.org.
MaineHealth has previously said the review remains ongoing and that no final decision has been made regarding the future of Labor and Delivery services at the Miles Campus. The organization’s board is expected to consider the issue during its Aug. 6 meeting.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.