St. Pat’s to close Family Maternity Center in Missoula, citing birth decline

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) Providence St. Patrick Hospital on Tuesday confirmed that it plans to close its Family Maternity Center by October.

Caregivers affected by the closure will have the opportunity to apply for open positions within the company, the hospital said, adding that it was "committed to supporting them during this transition."

"After careful consideration of ongoing external challenges, including flat and declining birth volumes, and workforce shortages, we have decided to close the Family Maternity Center," the hospital stated in a release. "This decision was not made lightly and was guided by our commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate care to our community while being good stewards of our resources."

Rumors of the impending closure began circulating over the weekend. The Missoula Current reached out to the hospital for comment on Tuesday morning, several hours before the hospital issued an official news release.

"We are working closely with Western Montana Clinic and Community Medical Center to ensure a seamless transition of care for expectant mothers," the hospital stated. "Community Medical Center's labor and delivery program, including advanced NICU capability, can meet current and future market needs, ensuring no decline in access to quality services."

St. Patrick Hospital will continue to provide nonsurgical and surgical gynecological care and manage any urgent medical needs through its Emergency Department.