More than 50 International Falls residents and those with ties to the area expressed fear, outrage and disappointment over a recent decision by Rainy Lake Medical Center to temporarily stop providing baby delivery services.
RLMC will temporarily stop delivering babies beginning Oct. 1 until more doctors are recruited, according to an announcement from RLMC communications staff this month.
The clinic and hospital campuses will provide care for up to 36 weeks of pregnancy, and then refer patients out of town for the last four weeks and delivery.
“Doctors at Rainy Lake Medical Center are already having conversations with their patients about prenatal care on a one-on-one basis,” said Angela Liedke, RLMC foundation and marketing coordinator. “If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact your primary care physician.”
According to RLMC officials, the decision was made as the clinic was reduced from five to three doctors who are able to provide obstetric care. Patients will be referred to Virginia, Hibbing, Bemidji or Duluth.
“This is very scary for a remote community like IFalls,” Melissa Lallak wrote on The Journal’s Facebook page, IfallsJournal.
Safety and cost of traveling were some of the concerns community members shared on The Journal’s website, www.ifallsjournal.com, and Facebook page.
“We in International Falls should not have to worry about this kind of upset,” wrote Tammy Walls. “We live too far away from medical of all kinds and our town is of decent size.”
People called the decision “sickening,” “disappointing,” “horrible,” “outrageous,” “backwards,” and said they felt “uncomfortable,” and “nervous” about it.
“My heart weeps for International Falls at this point,” Thomas L. Johnson wrote.
Many people who provided input cited concern for the safety of pregnant women and unborn babies while traveling during labor, and the possibility of injury or death in the case of an emergency without local care.
“When a woman goes into labor, it doesn’t work to travel,” wrote Angela Jean Turner. “The babies are going to come when they want to come.”
Another commenter asked what would happen when a mother needs an emergency C-section or if there is a fast labor and delivery.
The concern about cost relating to out-of-town appointments also surfaced. The nearest referral is Virgina, which is 100 miles away.
“I am very concerned for the safety of all pregnant women and unborn babies in the area now,” the commenter posted on The Journal’s website.
When The Journal this month asked Angela Liedke, RLMC foundation and marketing coordinator, whether local doctors would deliver babies or provide emergency care in a situation in which a patient could not get to an out-of-town hospital, Liedke said, “I can’t answer that at this time.”
Amber Hardwig, a labor and delivery nurse in Duluth at Essentia Health, who is originally from International Falls, wrote she already sees people from the Falls traveling to Duluth for OB care and delivery.
“But that is a big decision and should be up to the patient if they want to commit to traveling like that,” Hardwig wrote. “How many babies will be born in a car or an ambulance trying to transport? That is not a safe option.”
She added it would be expensive for patients to travel out of town not only for their routine appointments, but for things that come up during pregnancy.
Some mothers shared stories of giving birth to babies who were breach, or turned the wrong way for a normal delivery to happen. Stacey Forsythe commented her daughter was born breach and wasn’t breathing.
“What if I had been on the road to Duluth?” Forsythe wrote. “She wouldn’t have survived.”
Others who have moved away from the Falls said this decision may keep them from moving back.
Amy Mortenson wrote doctors should not be blamed for this decision.
“I’m sure that the ones who are still here didn’t take this decision lightly,” she wrote. “(RLMC) needs to affiliate (with Essentia Health or Sanford Health), and once we do, I would think that it would be easier to get doctors up here.”
The RLMC board has recently had discussions about which health system to affiliate with. RLMC is currently affiliated with Duluth-based Essentia Health.
“I hope RLMC can find new physicians soon,” Steve Stavseth wrote.
RLMC officials emphasized the change in care is temporary. Liedke said it is unknown when enough physicians will be recruited to the area to resume late-term OB care and delivery services.
“We don’t know when — it could be in two months, it could be next spring or next fall,” Liedke told The Journal earlier this month. “We’re hoping that it’s sooner rather than later.”
