LEESBURG, Fla. – Several expectant mothers and families are in shock after learning UF Health Leesburg Hospital is closing its labor and delivery unit in just 45 days.
It means some moms in the area will have to drive nearly an hour to get the care they need.
Alexis Strong, who is currently expecting, says UF Health Leesburg Hospital saved her life in 2019 when her artery ruptured after giving birth to her daughter.
“They didn’t have time for an ambulance to take me directly across the street, so I rode in my doctor’s car across the street to have an emergency procedure performed to save my life. I didn’t have more than four minutes,” Strong recalled.
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The hospital’s notice about the closure comes just 55 days before Strong’s due date for her third child.
“The closest place to me is 45 minutes away. I could go into labor prematurely. I’d have to drive further. It puts me at risk and my baby at risk,” she said.
Her sister-in-law, Michaella Duytsche, who is also expecting, says the closure will leave her facing a 45-minute to one-hour drive. On top of that, she explained, finding OB/GYN care is already a challenge.
“Finding OB/GYN care is very difficult. Finding a new one that might be close to a hospital just seems impossible,” Duytsche said.
In a statement, hospital staff explained the reasoning behind the closure:
“With significantly fewer deliveries compared with other regional centers and a community increasingly composed of older adults, maintaining full labor and delivery services is no longer sustainable.”
“It’s kind of like kicking us out, and we’ve been here before all the retirees made it here,” said Strong.
But the expecting mothers believe the decision is another way of pushing young families out of the community.
“It doesn’t mean we don’t matter. Our care is just as important,” Duytsche said.
The hospital says it will continue to provide emergency OB/GYN services after the change takes effect on Oct. 15.
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