LAURIUM, MI— Nurses at Aspirus Keweenaw want expectant mothers to know about a major change.
As of December 31st, Aspirus terminated labor and delivery services at the facility.
Melissa Helppi is an RN and president of the hospital’s Michigan Nurses Association Union. She says residents in the area need to make other plans if they intended to give birth at Aspirus Keweenaw.
“We do have other local facilities that are going to absorb our patients in that capacity, but that’s going to be a huge undertaking. So, they’re potentially going to see safety issues where people don’t potentially have knowledge of the closure of the labor and delivery department.”
Helppi says it’s the nurses union’s intention to get the word out about the closure because it was poorly communicated by the hospital itself. She notes Aspirus Keweenaw can still provide clinic care during pregnancies and
post-partum care for mom and baby.
The cancellation of OB services at Keweenaw comes on the heels of Aspirus closing the Ontonagon Hospital last year.
