Ossoff: 'Trump’s budget law' linked to Lavonia hospital no longer offering birthing services

LAVONIA, Ga. - Sen. Jon Ossoff is calling out federal budget cuts after St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia announced it will close its labor and delivery unit next month, forcing expectant mothers to travel nearly an hour to Athens for care.

St. Mary’s officials said the Lavonia hospital will continue emergency care and stabilize obstetric emergencies before transferring patients to Athens or other facilities. 

The system pledged to assist affected staff and support patients through the transition.

What they're saying:

Speaking at First Congregational Church in Atlanta on Sunday, Ossoff linked the closure to reductions in Medicaid funding. "In Lavonia, St. Mary’s Hospital, they've announced they will no longer provide obstetric services to delivering mothers because of decisions made by politicians," Ossoff said. "Evans Memorial Hospital in Southeast Georgia, confronting the fact that they may have to cut their ICU because of decisions made by politicians."

"This is now the second rural Georgia hospital to cut or anticipate cuts to vital services as a direct result of Trump’s budget law," Ossoff’s office said in a release. Last month, Evans Memorial Hospital warned it may have to close its intensive care unit, also citing Medicaid reductions.

Ossoff argued that healthcare should be guaranteed, regardless of geography or income. "It’s not a mystery that in a flourishing society, the means of achieving health and long life are a right accessible to all, and not just to those who live in the right place or have the means," he said.

The backstory:

St. Mary’s Health Care System said it will consolidate maternity services at its Athens hospital and discontinue care at Clear Creek OB/GYN in Lavonia. The decision follows an 18-month review of physician shortages, shifting demographics and Medicaid cuts approved under the Trump administration.

The closure reflects a broader trend in rural healthcare. Less than half of rural hospitals nationwide now provide labor and delivery services, a shift driven by low reimbursement rates and staffing shortages.

The other side:

The White House spokesperson, Victoria LaCivita, shared the following statement:

"President Trump’s Rural Health Transformation program is a $50 billion investment from the federal government – the largest investment in rural health care to date – that will drive reform and target the systemic reasons why hospitals in rural America have struggled for years. This program is a win for every rural community across the country, and the Administration urges every single Governor to apply."