Miles Hospital in Damariscotta, Maine faces a potential closure of its obstetrics department following a vote scheduled for August 6 by MaineHealth, the state’s largest nonprofit health system. The closure would leave expectant parents in the sparsely populated midcoast region an hour or more from the nearest birthing facility, raising safety concerns particularly during winter months.
The Miles Delivers Action Coalition, founded in May, has mobilized approximately 10,000 supporters to oppose the closure. The grassroots organization emerged after three local mothers learned of the impending decision and organized a community meeting, subsequently developing alternative staffing proposals and recruitment strategies. The coalition has gained backing from political leaders including Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree, outgoing Governor Janet Mills, and a delegation of statehouse lawmakers.
MaineHealth attributes the closure decision to a shortage of obstetrician-gynecologists since 2020 and concerns about the inability to reliably staff a labor and delivery unit. The health system has stated the assessment is not financially driven, though the coalition published data suggesting Miles Hospital is more profitable than most of MaineHealth’s other facilities. MaineHealth estimates that consolidated maternity care would add approximately 18 minutes to average drive times, but the coalition disputes this figure, noting that patients from remote areas would face drives of an hour or more, particularly during winter weather.
Maine is experiencing maternity care losses at the second fastest pace nationwide, with 11 birthing units shut down over the past decade. Nationally, nearly 150 rural birthing units are expected to close by the end of the year. The coalition’s advocacy efforts have highlighted broader economic and safety implications, arguing that the loss of birthing services affects community viability and family recruitment to rural areas. On August 6, MaineHealth trustees will vote on whether to preserve or close the obstetrics department.
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