In just 40 days, St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia plans to shut down its labor and delivery unit. For expectant mothers, that means no local option for giving birth or receiving routine prenatal care. Patients will be forced to travel to Athens or other locations, miles away from their homes and doctors they trust.

Hospital officials cite struggles with recruiting doctors and funding, and say recent congressional cuts to Medicaid “solidified” the decision. But for families in northeast Georgia, the consequences are personal and life-altering. Mothers who delivered their children safely at Sacred Heart — like Mia Crump, who praised her local care — are left shocked and scared about what comes next.

The closure doesn’t just affect delivery rooms. It will disrupt the Clear Creek OB/GYN practice where many women received prenatal checkups, screenings, and ongoing care. Without local access, expectant mothers face dangerous delays in emergencies, fewer opportunities for consistent care, and higher risks for both mothers and babies. As Rep. Michelle Au, a physician and legislator, explained: these barriers “prevent patients from getting regular prenatal care, maintenance care and in an emergency having that barrier to receiving timely urgent care.” The outcome is clear — worse health for rural families compared to those in urban centers.

Georgia already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. Closing yet another labor and delivery unit pushes rural mothers further into crisis. The hospital’s promise to handle “emergency births” in its ER is not a substitute for full maternal care. Women and families in Lavonia deserve safe, reliable, and local maternity services.

We call on Governor Brian Kemp, the Georgia Department of Community Health, and Congresswoman Drew Ferguson, who represents this district, to intervene. They must work with St. Mary’s to secure funding, staffing, and resources so the Lavonia labor and delivery unit stays open.

Mothers and newborns should not pay the price of political decisions or budget cuts. Lavonia families deserve the same safe, local maternity care as any other community.