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Access to labor and delivery services across the country has been on the decline for years. But a new agreement hopes to reverse that trend.
According to a report by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy (WVCBP), West Virginia has lost over half of its hospital obstetrics units in the past two decades, going from 35 in 2006 to just 16 as of May 2026. A third of those closures have happened since 2020.
To stem that tide, Vandalia Health and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) plan to reopen labor and delivery services at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center.
According to a press release, the organizations have signed a Letter of Intent to establish an Academic Integration Agreement that calls for Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) to reopen obstetric services at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center.
CAMC Health Network merged with Morgantown-based Mon Health System in 2022 to form Vandalia Health. Greenbrier Valley Medical Center was acquired by CAMC in early 2023.
Under the agreement, WVSOM will become Vandalia Health’s primary academic affiliation, with implementation beginning in phases on July 1, 2027. The partnership will also expand clinical training opportunities and establish a rural obstetrics training program based in Greenbrier County to help recruit and retain physicians. The signed Letter of Intent remains subject to final agreements and necessary approvals.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey was in Lewisburg to announce the partnership. He said connecting the state’s largest medical school with one of the largest healthcare systems will expand clinical opportunities for multiple specialties for the entire state.
“As part of that, of course, there will be a rural obstetrics program, a training program right here in Greenbrier,” Morrisey said, as an infant could be heard wailing in the room. “We get to hear those baby sounds a lot more.”
The WVCBP report found that farther and more expensive travel means less or less timely prenatal and postpartum care for many, especially those from low-income households. It is a pressing issue for West Virginia, where Medicaid covered half of births in 2023.
“What makes this effort especially important is that we are bringing partners together around a coordinated approach to maternal care rather than treating each level of care separately,” Dr. Arvin Singh, secretary of Health said. “For families, that means a clearer path between community-based services and hospital care, with the right level of support available when they need it. Our goal is to build a system that works together and can serve mothers and babies for years to come.”
The report also found that a lack of access to maternal health care was associated with preterm births between 2021 and 2023 and lower birthweights between 2017 and 2023. West Virginia moms residing in maternity health care deserts reported feeling anxious, stressed, and even unsafe as they navigated long distances to receive maternal care.
“We are restoring essential healthcare services to the Greenbrier Valley by reopening labor and delivery at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center,” Morrisey said. “This historic partnership between two of West Virginia’s leading healthcare institutions, combined with a nearly $4 million investment, will build a stronger, more sustainable maternal healthcare system that serves mothers, babies, and families for years to come.”
Morrisey also announced a $4 million Rural Health Transformation Program award to support the project. The money will support a new WVSOM community-based birthing center and also provide assistance for more complex pregnancies. It will also expand prenatal and postpartum care, women’s health services, birth preparation, lactation support, care coordination, and telehealth. Services will be introduced in phases as staffing, facilities, and clinical arrangements are established.
The governor tied the development back to his focus on strengthening the state’s fundamental infrastructure to bolster economic development.
“If families can’t access essential healthcare services, that’s a real obstacle to getting more people to work and having a strong local community,” he said. “That’s something we’re working very hard to address.”