Sanford Health to Close Labor and Delivery Unit in Luverne, MN
Sanford Health will discontinue inpatient labor and delivery and inpatient newborn care at Sanford Luverne, Minnesota, effective April 27, according to an Oct. 28 health system news release. Local physicians made the decision after delivery volumes fell more than 40% over the past decade, with only 41 births recorded year to date compared with 82 during the same period last year. Patients will be referred to Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls or Sanford Worthington Medical Center, both roughly 30 miles from Luverne, while Sanford Luverne continues prenatal, postpartum and emergency labor and delivery services. The closure reflects a broader pattern of rural obstetric unit closures as patients increasingly choose larger regional hospitals for deliveries.