P.M. BRIEFING : S.F. Hospital to Close Obstetrics
FROM TIMES WIRE SERVICES
SAN FRANCISCO —
The oldest Roman Catholic hospital on the West Coast will end 133 years of delivering babies in November.
St. Mary’s Hospital said it is closing down its obstetrics unit because it delivered fewer than 800 babies in the last year, although it was not losing money.
Hospitals traditionally lose money when their number of births falls below 1,200 a year. St. Mary’s has been shifting emphasis toward heart surgery and orthopedic care. Both are more lucrative for a hospital than obstetrical care.
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