[Denison, IA] – Crawford County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) has announced it will be partnering with St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll to provide prenatal and postnatal care in Denison and deliveries at St. Anthony Regional Hospital’s “The Birth Place.” This partnership will assure the continued quality of OB care the Denison community has come to expect.
“Across the United States and Iowa, birth rates have been declining precipitously over the past 10 years. There have been less than 100 deliveries per year at CCMH over the past three years. This year, there have been less than 60 births at CCMH. These decreasing numbers make it more difficult to assure safety and quality in every situation for every patient,” said Erin Muck, CCMH President and CEO.
Muck also noted it is increasingly difficult to find providers who are willing to practice obstetrics in a rural setting.
“When exploring solutions to address these issues, it was important to us our community still had prenatal and postnatal services available locally. St. Anthony Regional Hospital is committed to providing these OB services in Denison”, according to Muck.
“We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings to maintain maternal healthcare standards,” stated Allen Anderson, CEO of St. Anthony Regional Hospital. “By combining our resources and expertise, we aim to ensure every mother receives personalized care and support tailored to her unique needs. This partnership represents our shared dedication to excellence in obstetric care in our region. Part of that model is following delivery, when mothers and babies are discharged from the hospital, their ongoing care will be transitioned back to CCMH for those living in the CCMH service area.”
St. Anthony Regional Hospital received a Center of Excellence Grant for OB in 2021 from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to assist with providing OB services to counties surrounding Carroll.
At that time, Governor Reynolds stated. “This innovative model of care is an ideal solution for sustaining high quality OB services for families in rural Iowa.”
St. Anthony Regional Hospital will be providing prenatal and postnatal care, and prenatal classes in Denison. All deliveries will take place in Carroll.
“Although we are disheartened we will no longer deliver babies here at CCMH, we are confident our community will still receive quality OB care, which is our ultimate goal and commitment to our patients and community. We will continue to support all community healthcare needs including maternal and newborn care,” Muck emphasized.
About Crawford County Memorial Hospital
The mission of Crawford County Memorial Hospital is to provide convenience access to safe, high quality, patient-centered healthcare by skilled and trusted professionals while exceeding customer expectations.
About St. Anthony Regional Hospital
St. Anthony Regional Hospital is inspired by faith and committed to excellence. It is dedicated to improving the health of the people it serves.
