June 22, 2026
City of Delaware City Council,
This isn’t just about one hospital unit. This is about whether Delaware County is moving toward greater access to care or becoming another example of the maternity care crisis unfolding across Ohio and the nation.
According to the March of Dimes, more than one-third of U.S. counties are now considered maternity care deserts, and hospital closures and reductions in obstetric services are forcing families to travel farther for essential maternity care. Women living in areas with limited maternity access experience worse outcomes, including higher rates of preterm birth and inadequate prenatal care.
Ohio is not immune. March of Dimes reports that 6.5% of Ohio women already do not have a birthing hospital within 30 minutes of where they live. Morrow County is already considered a maternity care desert. If this closure is allowed to move forward, Delaware County risks moving in the same direction. What a travesty that would be for families across this region.
The consequences of reducing maternity care access are especially concerning because Ohio already struggles with poor maternal and infant health outcomes. According to the March of Dimes 2025 Report Card, Ohio received a D grade for preterm births, ranks 37th nationally for preterm birth rates, and ranks 48th in the nation for infant mortality. At a time when our state is already facing serious challenges in maternal and infant health, eliminating maternity services is moving in exactly the wrong direction.
This closure also reflects a larger and deeply troubling pattern of healthcare consolidation occurring across Ohio and the country. Large healthcare systems continue to acquire community hospitals and local healthcare services, often promising efficiencies and improved access. Yet too often, communities experience the opposite. Consolidation frequently results in fewer healthcare options, reduced competition, higher healthcare costs, and the elimination of essential services that may not meet corporate financial expectations. Decisions that once were made locally become centralized and driven by priorities far removed from the communities they affect.
Delaware County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Ohio. This community should be gaining healthcare services, not losing them. Yet OhioHealth’s decision would leave families with fewer choices for maternity care, longer travel times, and greater barriers to accessing care when every minute matters. The closure of this maternity unit is not an isolated event—it is part of a broader trend that has left many communities with fewer options, higher costs, and worse health outcomes.
And let’s talk about the reality on the ground.
A nurse recently left Grady Memorial Hospital at approximately 7:30 in the morning and drove to Riverside Methodist Hospital. The trip took 70 minutes.
Seventy minutes.
Not during a snowstorm. Not during a natural disaster. During a normal weekday morning commute.
Now imagine making that trip while in active labor. Imagine making that trip with ruptured membranes, severe bleeding, preeclampsia, fetal distress, or another obstetrical emergency. Imagine being told that the closest maternity unit serving your community has been closed because a healthcare corporation decided it no longer fit its business plan.
The nurses who provide care in this unit have more than 500 years of combined service and experience. They have dedicated their careers to caring for mothers, babies, and families in this community. If this closure is allowed to move forward, it will devastate the community, and it could be decades before these services are restored.
As a nurse, the word “breech” has a specific meaning. A breech delivery occurs when a baby is not positioned head first. It creates additional risk and requires careful intervention to protect both mother and child.
Today, Delaware County is facing a different kind of breech.
When OhioHealth assumed control of Grady Memorial Hospital, commitments were made to this community. Those commitments helped justify transferring control of a community hospital to a large healthcare system. Yet today, OhioHealth is moving to eliminate a vital service that this growing community depends upon.
That is a breach of trust.
And if OhioHealth is failing to live up to the promises made in its affiliation agreement, then it raises serious questions about whether it is also in breach of the commitments it made to the people of Delaware County.
A breech delivery places a mother and baby at risk. A breach of trust by a dominant healthcare system places an entire community at risk.
The people of Delaware County deserve answers. They deserve accountability. And they deserve a healthcare system that keeps its promises.
We urge you to do everything in your power to delay and stop this closure for the good of the community and for the health and well-being of every patient who needs timely access to vital care.
Rick Lucas BSN, RN, CCRN
ONA President