Allina to take over baby deliveries

“It’s a win all the way around for the community.”

Michelle Sorensen summed up what many in Owatonna and the surrounding area were feeling after last week’s announcement that Allina Health would provide obstetricians to continue labor and delivery services in Owatonna.

The move was prompted by Mayo Clinic Health System’s decision to end on-call labor and delivery coverage at Owatonna Hospital, effective Nov. 17.

The collaborative effort between Allina Health and its partners ensures expectant mothers who planned to deliver their babies in Owatonna may still do so.

Sorensen, a local nurse, praised the leadership at Allina, as well as the providers.

“They are the ones who came together and said, ‘we’re going to make sure we take calls,’” she said. “I think leadership saw the outcry, the voices of our community… It was such a beautiful collaboration.”

The Minnesota Nurses Association is also pleased with the move.

“Nurses negotiated for a week to address the risks to the community posed by the service disruptions following the MCHS decision to remove OB-GYN providers from Owatonna Hospital,” MNA wrote in a statement.

“This decision provides resources to expecting families in Owatonna without requiring them to travel outside the community to receive essential care,” the statement said. “Nurses will continue to advocate for accessible patient-centered care in every community.”

The background

When The Steele County Times broke the news of Mayo’s planned departure on Oct. 17, it seemed to come as a surprise to nearly everyone; more importantly, it left the hospital without doctors to handle births.

Allina Health owns and operates Owatonna Hospital; MCHS owns and operates the Owatonna Clinic nearby as part of a joint operating agreement.

Allina’s hospital staff includes labor and delivery nurses, but not physicians who practice obstetrics.

Mayo doctors were contracted to provide the labor and delivery services at Owatonna Hospital, which sees about 400 babies born each year.

MCHS officials said their decision to end that contract was based on staffing challenges and an ongoing nationwide shortage of obstetrics and gynecology physicians.

The fallout

Mayo’s announcement to end deliveries in Owatonna left pregnant women and their families wondering about their next steps.

The closest hospital providing labor and deliveries is Faribault, which is nearly 20 miles away.

In addition to the obvious issue of having to travel out of town instead of across town while in labor, Sorensen said there were other considerations.

“What about people who can’t afford the financial impact?” Sorensen asked. “What if they don’t have a vehicle? What if they can’t pay for parking? Pay the hotel bills they might incur if they’re not in active labor?”

Another possible obstacle: “What if the closest hospital isn’t in their (insurance) network?” Sorensen said.

If the hospital had to send the mother and/or baby by air or ground ambulance to another facility, “that could all be secondary out-of-network pocket. That could bankrupt somebody,” she said.

City and county leaders voiced their disappointment and frustration as they look to grow the local population.

The reaction

Allina Health officials “did a really good job. They did a solid for our community,” Sorensen said after the Oct. 30 announcement.

“Our teams are stepping up to fill critical gaps in labor and delivery services and ensure compassionate, timely care continues without disruption,” said Whitney Johnson, president of Owatonna Hospital.

“We are deeply grateful to our providers, nurses and care team members who have gone above and beyond to ensure patients receive the care they need.”

Sorensen believes everyone “saw a need. I’m glad that somebody was actually thinking and using some common sense.”

Union nurses waged a sticker campaign, she said. “It was loud and proud; the collaboration was a huge part.”

Ever since Mayo’s decision to pull out, local leaders have been critical of the move and pushing to find a resolution for baby services to remain in Owatonna. Leading that campaign has been Owatonna Chamber President Brad Meier, along with various city and county officials as well as representatives from Federated Insurance, the area’s largest employer.

All four entities met with both Allina and Mayo officials last week in hopes of preventing a lapse in baby deliveries. During Friday’s meeting with Mayo, Meier said Mayo officials confirmed they were on board with Allina’s decision to start a clinic for women.

Meier said he is encouraged by Allina’s announcement last week on two levels. First, they will be able to pull something together for the immediate need to continue coverage when Mayo ends on Nov. 17. And, secondly, he is even more excited that Allina plans to have a woman’s health clinic.

“What this means for Owatonna is that Allina is committed to do labor and delivery services,” Meier said. “This is really a positive step to keeping care (locally),” he said, adding he hopes Mayo will follow through on its verbal commitment to support Allina’s move.

While Mayo still plans to provide care in the Owatonna area, Meier is not certain how that will look in the future.

“We will continue to have dialogue with both Mayo and Allina,” he said. “There will need to be an on-going voice needed as healthcare changes. We want the community’s voice to be heard. There are certain expectations we have in this community.”

Meier is grateful that things came together as quick as they did. “There has been a unified community voice,” he said, adding, “We felt we were heard in this process.”

Tours of labor and delivery area at Allina are available upon request, Sorensen said, and the baby café, which she called “a huge hit for our local breastfeeding moms,” remains open.

She emphasized that expectant mothers may be seen at any clinic, and still have their babies at Owatonna Hospital.

“The hospital is prepared,” Sorensen said. “We do want everybody to have access to care; we want people to be able to birth their babies locally, and we’re able to do that.”

The future

In addition to providing immediate labor and delivery coverage, Allina Health is also accelerating plans to open a dedicated Women’s Health clinic in Owatonna. The goal is to open in early December.

“Allina Health is committed to supporting the health and well-being of Owatonna and the surrounding communit(ies),” Johnson said in a statement.

It marks the first of many steps to build a sustainable and comprehensive women’s health and obstetric program in the region.

“There will be no hiccups in deliveries in Owatonna,” Sorensen said. “We will happily deliver your babies. We want you here.”

Allina Health officials will continue to share updates as plans progress.