On August 18th via an email to the Auburn OBGYN midwives, Parkview Health announced that they would be phasing out labor and delivery services in two community hospitals as of September 22, 2023.  

 

Parkview Dekalb Family Birthing Center is one of the hospitals that has been chosen to close.  Parkview Dekalb Family Birthing Center is also home to the Auburn OBGYN Midwifery group who attend 2/3rds of of the births at Parkview Dekalb. 

These midwives have spent the better half of their lives dedicaitng themselves to improving birth outcomes and making sure families have a voice. Stephanie Vanderhorst brought waterbirth to Dekalb Hospital over 10 years ago. She has been a bedside nurse, OB manager, and then a Certified Nurse Midwife who co-owns the freestanding Auburn Birthing Center. 

Dekalb Family Birthing Center is a 9 bed labor and delivery/ postpartum unit with 3 in suite labor and water birth tubs. This location is a preferred location for many families locally as well as families whom drive 2-3 hours just to birth at Parkview Dekalb with the Auburn Midwives attending. 

The closure of this birthing center will create another OB desert area in Indiana which already is #3 for infant and maternal mortality rates.   Number 3 in the nation seems extremely dangerous considering Indiana is is home to only 6.83 million as of 2022. 

Forcing families to birth in locations that are not only further from home but operate on a different care model, with providers who are already at capacity with patients will cause more families to choose to free birth, there will be more roadside births, more ER births. 

Parkview Dekalb's Family Birthing Center has been awarded year after year awards for top labor and delivery unit in the region.  The independent midwives are the reason for the success and the below average c-section rates, episiotomy rates, induction rates and overall general satisfaction of birth. 

Dekalb County, Indiana can NOT lose this birthing center.  There has been no proven validity in why this birthing center should closed as it is the largest capacity, and best preforming birthing unit out of all the community hospitals that are owned by Parkview.   Why not close the smaller hospital units and send more families to Dekalb?

Please help our community, and surrounding families from Ohio, Michigan and beyond save this precious hidden gem for birthing families! Your voice is needed and it helps all birthing families now, and for future generations. 

Please help spread the word and save Parkview Dekalb Family Birthing Center from closing the doors on this one of a kind birthing location.  The doors are set to be closed on September 22, 2023.  Your voice is urgently needed!!  Please keep the Dekalb Difference alive for the well being of families all over!  We need your help! 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  ~Many concerned nurses, midwives, OB's,  birthworks, residents, birthing families, and future generations