MaineHealth to Close Lincoln Hospital Maternity Unit Despite Community Opposition

The MaineHealth board of trustees has decided to close the labor and delivery unit at MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta. The closure is scheduled for December 18, with services being shifted to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick.

Since 2015, this will be the 12th maternity unit closure in Maine. Lincoln, Waldo, and Sagadahoc counties will have no hospitals offering birthing services. This leaves fewer than half of Maine’s 34 hospitals with delivery services.

Governor Janet Mills, U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, and all three gubernatorial candidates had urged a delay in the decision. They wanted birthing services to remain in Damariscotta.

Providing maternity care requires a team of physicians, nurses, anesthesia professionals, and support staff who are consistently available for deliveries and emergencies at any hour,

The board has guaranteed no further maternity unit closures for two years. It urged lawmakers and the incoming governor to form a group to tackle rural community maternity service challenges. The health system cited low birth rates and staffing difficulties as reasons for the closure.

MaineHealth plans to implement a “new regional model” linking OB-GYN services between Damariscotta and Brunswick. Lincoln Hospital will continue prenatal and postpartum care, including ultrasounds and counseling. Labor and delivery services, however, will be unavailable, prompting patients to go to Brunswick or other hospitals for childbirth.

Months of tension have preceded this decision, with the Miles Delivers Action Coalition leading protests. This grassroots group disputed the closure logic and engaged with MaineHealth to contest it. They also organized demonstrations, including one in Portland.

In a statement, the coalition promised to pursue all legal and community avenues to maintain maternity care in Lincoln County. They expressed that a hospital unable to perform births is inadequate.

A pregnant Lincoln County woman filed a lawsuit to stop the vote. Supported by the coalition, she sought an emergency injunction, which was denied. The lawsuit also requested a permanent injunction against closing the maternity unit, which is still pending.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree criticized the board’s decision. She expressed concern for the well-being of moms, babies, and families in the area, emphasizing the risk of birthing farther from home.