Plan would restore labor and delivery at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center

Labor and delivery would return to Greenbrier Valley Medical Center under a proposed agreement, while nearly $4 million in public funding would support a freestanding birthing center and other maternal care services.

Governor Patrick Morrisey outlined the plans in a November 5 release. Vandalia Health and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) have signed a letter of intent calling for CAMC, the Vandalia Health system that runs the hospital, to reopen its obstetric services.

The academic agreement would phase in starting July 1, 2027, but final agreements and approvals are still needed. The release does not give a specific date for deliveries to resume.

Reopening would restore access in the Greenbrier Valley to C-sections, epidurals and hospital care for higher-risk pregnancies, according to the release.

The nearly $4 million award comes through West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program. It would help WVSOM establish what the governor’s office describes as the state’s second freestanding birthing center and support care for complex pregnancies. Other services would include care before and after birth, lactation support and telehealth. Services would roll out as staffing, facilities and clinical arrangements are put in place.

Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh said in the release that the effort brings partners together “around a coordinated approach to maternal care rather than treating each level of care separately.” “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,” he said.

The Vandalia Health and WVSOM partnership also calls for a rural obstetrics training program in Greenbrier County to help recruit and retain physicians.

Watch Morrisey’s announcement.