Aug. 19, 2025
Important announcement: Closure of Providence Seaside inpatient obstetric and newborn care services
Please read this message from Rebecca Coplin, MHA, chief administrative officer, Providence Seaside Hospital and Kristine Bell, RN, Executive Director, Providence Women & Children’s Services
Providence Seaside Hospital has been a cornerstone of health services in our community for nearly 50 years and is committed to our Mission of serving all, especially those who are poor and vulnerable.
So, it’s important to emphasize three things: Providence is not closing Providence Seaside Hospital or our clinics; we remain committed to our North Coast communities; and we are making changes to clinical service lines to best meet community need.
After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our inpatient obstetric and newborn care services at Providence Seaside, including labor and delivery, well-newborn inpatient care, and outpatient prenatal/surgical gynecologic care with an OB/GYN physician. This change will take effect Oct. 4, 2025.
The decision was supported by a diverse group of clinical, Mission and community leaders, highlighting the need for stewardship and excellence in clinical care. We have met with leaders at Columbia Memorial Hospital and Astoria Birth Center, so they are aware of our decision. Looking ahead, as Dr. Dominique Greco emphasizes, “our priority is to ensure a smooth transition while maintaining high quality care for the community.”
Today, Oregon’s health care system is undergoing a historic reset. Hospitals across the state, including Providence, are grappling with the reality that the cost of care continues to outpace reimbursement – driven by inflation, workforce shortages, and rising supply costs. We find ourselves at a point where we must take steps to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality care and pay our caregivers competitive wages.
Reallocating resources to ensure continued high-quality community care
This decision will help us to continue to achieve excellence in the services we provide, align with our vision of connected care, and be responsible stewards of the resources available in our community.
Declining delivery volumes, and persistent workforce shortages of physicians and local nurses who are specially trained and skilled in maternity, are the primary drivers of this decision. We have seen a significant drop in volumes, with 56 deliveries in 2023 and 66 in 2024. We have struggled to recruit providers and staff, and our only OB/GYN physician retired Aug. 1, 2025. Despite our efforts, we have been unsuccessful in recruiting a new OB/GYN for nearly two years. After Aug. 1, 2025, we will require 80% of our OB call to be covered by providers from Portland. We also face challenges in meeting Level 1 maternity requirements. A nurse working in maternity requires a set of skills different from a nurse working in a clinic or in surgery, for example.
Providence is supporting caregivers through this transition
There are 12 ONA-represented RNs on the unit. We will work with ONA to determine the impact on the positions. We are committed to supporting our caregivers during this transition. Our goal is to help locate a position or retrain all affected employees who want to continue working within Providence.
Impact on patients and the community
Seaside residents will continue to have access to obstetric care through two similar low-risk delivery programs within 30 minutes of Seaside. Columbia Memorial Hospital, which has four times our delivery volume, and the Astoria Birthing Center, which opened in 2020, are positioned to provide maternity services. North Coast counties are not considered maternity care deserts.
Emergency services readiness
Our emergency department is prepared to care for obstetric patients. Providence Women and Children’s Institute, in collaboration with emergency department leaders, has established protocols, policies and continuing education.
