Starting Jan. 13, Warren General Hospital will no longer offer inpatient labor and delivery services due to a shortage of OBGYN physicians.

Warren General Hospital joins UPMC Cole, a critical access hospital in Coudersport that closed its maternity care unit in April 2025 and means at least 22 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties have no hospitals with inpatient labor and delivery. UPMC Cole officials also cited difficulties in recruiting an OB/GYN physician and a shortage of labor and delivery nurses as the primary reasons for the closure.

For several years, Warren General Hospital’s OBGYN program has been maintained by two physicians. On Dec. 29, the hospital was notified that one of those physicians would not be participating in the delivery of babies for the foreseeable future. Over the past year, Warren General Hospital has tried to expand its OBGYN program, including contacting 28 OBGYN residency programs nationwide, including all 16 OBGYN residency programs in Pennsylvania, six in Western New York and six in Eastern Ohio – in attempts to connect with potential OBGYN physician candidates. The hospital has used 10 recruiting agencies to try to locate OBGYN candidates from around the United States, reached out to every available candidate on Practice Link, the nation’s leading physician job board, and engaged with U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, state Rep. Kathy Rapp, and state Sen. Scott Hutchinson to advocate for recruitment assistance.

“Despite our exhaustive efforts and the support of our legislative leaders, the national shortage of OBGYN specialists has made it impossible to secure the staffing levels required to safely maintain a 24/7 labor and delivery unit at this time,” said Dan Grolemund, Warren General Hospital CEO. “Our priority is, and always will be, the safety and well-being of our patients.”

Warren General Hospital will continue to provide gynecologic, prenatal and postpartum care as well as wellness exams and routine screenings while its remaining physician will continue to see patients and oversee the hospital’s Advanced Practice Providers, either onsite or remotely. If the hospital’s other physician returns, that doctor will also provide outpatient women’s health services to Warren General Hospital patients.

Approximately 175 babies have been delivered each year at WGH. Over the last 20 years, deliveries have declined from 400 deliveries each year to 175 a year. Warren General Hospital officials said they will work collaboratively with expecting mothers regarding the following three labor and delivery options for births: UPMC Chautauqua (20 miles from WGH), AHN St. Vincent Hospital (62 miles from WGH), and UPMC Hamot Magee-Women’s Hospital (67 miles from WGH).

Warren General Hospital has also established a relationship with Dr. Michael Scutella from OBGYN Associates of Erie. Scutella’s group consists of 18 OBGYN physicians. Scutella provides outpatient care to the numerous communities in the region, with labor and delivery services provided in Erie. OBGYN Associates of Erie is willing to come to Warren in the future to provide outpatient women’s health services and same-day surgeries, beginning as early as summer/fall of 2026.

Dr. Hannah Zank, who is currently in her OBGYN residency, is scheduled to join WGH’s OBGYN team in July 2027. Beginning at that time, hospital officials said they hope Zank will lead Warren General Hospital’s outpatient women’s health care services and assist OBGYN Associates of Erie with call coverage.

There are 14 RNs in the Warren General Hospital Maternity Department, all of whom have the opportunity to staff positions in other hospital departments after appropriate training.

“Many members of our administration were born at WGH. We understand the magnitude of this decision and the need to support pregnant women in our region. However, with our options being extremely limited, we feel this array of solutions is the best to provide our patients with high-quality, reliable women’s health care moving forward,” Grolemund said.