OSF St. James in Pontiac to route labor, delivery patients to other hospitals

OSF St. James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac will no longer deliver babies at its facility.

Labor and delivery services will be moved to other hospitals within OSF HealthCare, including Bloomington’s OSF St. Joseph Medical Center or OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, whatever is best for the patient, OSF said in a news release Monday. The company said the transition ensures the long-term viability of all of its hospitals.

OSF St. James will continue to provide gynecological surgical procedures, lactation counseling, natural family planning via the Creighton Model Fertility Care System and overall women’s health, such as 3-D mammography, bone density and wellness screenings, the release said.

In addition, OSF St. James will offer a hybrid model of in-person visits and digital tools for women who prefer to take advantage of some virtual offerings – whether to help busy patients with scheduling conflicts or transportation concerns.

OSF could offer a virtual visit for every other visit throughout a healthy pregnancy. This care model is used in other OSF markets similar to Pontiac.

“We want to be where our patients need us, and OSF HealthCare is committed to offering digital services to supplement our in-person care,” said Liz Davidson, RN, interim president at OSF St. James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center, in a news release. “We can offer virtual visits for most healthy pregnancies throughout prenatal care, or our remote patient monitoring program for prenatal and postpartum care is available to complement your visits to a doctor’s office, with on-demand learning based on where a woman is in her pregnancy.”

The number of babies born at OSF St. James has declined in recent years, which aligns with the aging population of Livingston County, OSF said in the release. The Pontiac hospital has 10-15 babies born there per month on average, which is a decline from the 500-plus babies born annually at OSF St. James in years past.

Many hospitals and health care systems, especially in rural areas, are struggling to care for expectant mothers right now, OSF said in a news release. This is because of several factors, including physician shortages, staffing challenges, regulatory requirements and financial hardships, the hospital said.

“Within the OSF HealthCare system, we are blessed to have excellent providers and clinical teams who care deeply for the patients and families who depend on us – including those who are expanding their families,” Davidson said.

In addition, OSF lactation experts offer virtual lactation assistance to any woman, regardless of geographic location. Patients with questions about their ongoing care, OSF Medical Group teams are available at 815-842-3567.

Earlier this month, OSF signed a letter of intent to purchase the former Peru hospital and other medical offices throughout the Illinois Valley from St. Margaret’s Health. OSF did not say whether an obstetrics unit would be included in the Peru hospital after reopening, other than to say it was assessing community needs.