West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park ends delivery privileges for midwives, family doctors

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Physicians and patients with the Community Wellness Center said West Suburban Medical Center is terminating delivery privileges for midwives and family doctors, causing chaos for hundreds of expecting mothers.

The hospital said they want to lean more on their own OB-GYNs, but others call the decision a "war on women."

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Members of the Westside Coalition for Birth Equity demand action after the hospital ended their 30-year partnership with PCC Community Wellness Center, a major prenatal provider supplying midwives and family doctors for the hospital.

"The 500 pregnant women that are currently seeing us for prenatal care, we've had to scramble to try and find another place to deliver those patients," said Dr. Paul Luning, chief medical officer for PCC Wellness Center.

The termination, announced in December, means those midwives and family doctors can no longer deliver babies at the hospital. Luning said they were told the hospital insurance wouldn't cover them.

"We've never seen that policy," he said. "We believe that this is the best way to take care of pregnant women and the safest and the lowest liability."

Resilience Health, which owns the hospital, said in a statement, "In order to improve patient care and maintain insurance coverage, West Suburban, like major hospitals across the country, determined residency-trained OBGYNs should run the OBGYN Department."

The statement goes on to say an offer was made to PCC in which midwives could deliver babies under the supervision of an OB-GYN, but some said that's not enough.

"It is a betrayal of this community and expectant mothers now face increased risks of complications due to this unnecessary disruption," said Christina Waters, Oak Park elected village clerk.

Water, who gave birth to three of her children through PCC, said personalized care with a midwife and family doctor saves the lives of Black and brown moms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black mothers are nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth.

"This hospital once stood as a beacon of hope and equity for all," Waters said. "Health care is not a privilege, it is a right."

The coalition said they want the hospital to be converted back to non-profit status and add an oversight task for with community members.