The maternity unit at Jackson South Medical Center is closing its doors today — weeks earlier than originally announced.
Jackson South had initially told news outlets the ward would close in the fall, but a recent memo indicated the closure would take place Friday, Aug. 15. A staff member told Local 10 they stopped transferring patients to the maternity unit after receiving a message Thursday confirming the early shutdown.
Local 10 said it asked the hospital system to confirm the change and outline the transition process, but had not received a response.
The last statement that they received from Jackson South was on July 2, when the hospital said the decision was made to “support Jackson South’s continued growth and to better align with the current needs of the surrounding community.”
“Impacted employees will have the opportunity to move into other positions at Jackson South or in similar units at our other hospitals,” the statement continued. “We will work with our community doctors to ensure we fulfill our commitment to expectant mothers near their delivery dates, while also safely transitioning patients with earlier-term pregnancies to another center.
“Jackson will continue providing comprehensive maternity services, including specialized care for high-risk mothers, at two other locations: The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial and Jackson North Medical Center. We will also continue operating the OB-GYN physician practice at Jackson South, in partnership with UHealth – University of Miami Health System.
“Jackson remains fully committed to ensuring underserved patients have access to prenatal care through our partnership with Community Health of South Florida (CHI). This realignment will ensure our patients throughout South Florida can access the care they need at Jackson locations convenient to them. While the types of services offered may vary from hospital to hospital, as a system, we provide the most comprehensive, high-quality care for every patient.”
