NATCHEZ — Effective March 2, Natchez Regional Medical Center and Natchez Community Hospital will combine its labor and delivery departments into one location at Natchez Community Hospital.

“Both hospitals have talented labor and delivery departments,” said Eric Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Natchez Regional Medical Center and Natchez Community Hospital. “Bringing together these two highly qualified teams will build a stronger, more robust program to serve families in our community.”

The plan was developed after careful consideration about the possible benefits to patients, physicians and employees, according to a press release.

“This transition means expectant parents will have access to more resources in one convenient location,” said Laura Bruce, Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Natchez Community Hospital. “We look forward to our departments working together to care for our patients during this exciting time in their lives.”

The hospital is assisting physicians with notifying their patients and helping to answer any questions.

Other women’s services will not be impacted by this move. Gynecologic surgeries and other related procedures will continue to be offered at Natchez Regional and Natchez Community. Natchez Regional OB employees will move to Natchez Community to work in the same positions they currently have or remain in other nursing units at Natchez Regional.

The hospitals have filed a Certificate of Need with the Mississippi Department of Health to make additional enhancements to other services.

“As we make the decision to consolidate the two units, it will allow us to prepare the unit at Regional to be expanded and renovated to house the permanent home of our OB services once the CON is approved and final consolidation of the hospital is complete,” Robinson said. “To do this needed work while mothers were delivering their newborns in the same area would be a distracting burden to such a joyful occasion.”

Robinson also expressed looking forward to working with the state to complete the remaining steps of the Certificate of Need process and, if plans are approved, expanding additional healthcare services and resources to the Natchez community.