April 30, 2024
RICE LAKE, WI – Labor and delivery services at Marshfield Medical Center-Rice Lake will be temporarily paused beginning May 1 due to staffing limitations that supports the service. The pause is anticipated to last 30-60 days. We understand this diversion is a significant inconvenience to our patients.
Affected patients will be notified and we will work closely with them to transition their labor and delivery care to Marshfield Medical Center-Eau Claire. MMC-Rice Lake OB-GYN providers will continue to care for patients during their prenatal and postpartum care.
We are offering patients a tour of the MMC-Eau Claire Birth Center, 2310 Craig Road. Tours are offered Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. Meet in front of the birth center on the third floor of the hospital.
MMC-Eau Claire has more than doubled its labor and delivery beds following the expansion of its obstetrics unit from eight beds to 20 beds. The unit, which opened in late March, can accommodate an additional 550 births a year. U.S. News & World Report recently recognized MMC-Eau Claire on its list of “High Performing Hospitals" for maternity care access.
If you have symptoms of labor or have questions, contact your OB provider or call Eau Claire OB-GYN at 715-858-4646 to reach the on-call provider. More information about the MMC-Eau Claire Birth Center is found at marshfieldclinic.org/eauclairebaby.
“The reality is that two HSHS hospitals in western Wisconsin have closed causing undue stress on an already fragile healthcare market," said Dr. Brandon Parkhurst, vice president of medical affairs. “The ripple effect of the closures is a factor in us having to spread our resources to meet the greatest health care needs throughout western Wisconsin."
