CLEBURNE, Texas — After Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne announced plans to stop labor and delivery service there effective Aug. 30, more than 1,400 have signed a petition calling on the hospital to continue the service.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne announced plans to stop labor and delivery service at the hospital effective 5 p.m. Aug. 30 earlier this month.
“Texas Health Women’s Care in Cleburne will remain open and will continue to care for women’s gynecologic health needs,” a post on their social media page reads.
“We are working with employees to find other positions within Texas Health. We also reached out to pregnant patients planning to deliver their babies at Texas Health Cleburne and will provide these patients extra support,” Texas Health said in a statement to WFAA. “The low number of deliveries led to this decision, but we will still provide gynecological care and surgery at the hospital. Texas Health Cleburne has served the community for 38 years and remains committed to providing acute care inpatient services.”
Obstetrical services are available at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Which is about 33 miles away, Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth, also 30-plus miles away, and Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South, which is more than 25 miles away.
“This will not only affect Johnson County but other counties that surround as all the hospital options that will remain are a significant distance from most of these small towns that surround Cleburne,” the online petition calling for the services to continue reads. “This also highly impacts not only the community but also the staff of Texas Health Cleburne L&D. This is a very important resource that has been taken away.”