** See prior coverage of cutbacks announced by Summa Health in September 2021 in the player above.
AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — Summa Health has decided to transfer labor and delivery services from its Barberton Campus to its Akron Campus, effective Nov. 15, according to a statement from the health system.
It’s due to declining use of child-birthing services at the 5th Street Northeast facility, said spokesperson Mike Bernstein. The company made the decision due to after a “lengthy and detailed evaluation period.”
All frontline clinical workers will be offered positions at the Akron Campus’ labor and delivery unit or elsewhere in the company, according to the statement.
Plans for the soon-vacated Barberton unit will be announced “in the near future,” according to the statement.
The health system one year ago announced it would reduce inpatient hospital beds by more than 20% between the Akron and Barberton campuses, amid a nationwide staffing shortage.