Vandalia Health, osteopathic school to reopen labor, delivery services at Greenbrier Medical Center

Greenbrier County families will again have access to labor and delivery services through an agreement between Vandalia Health and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, officials announced Thursday.

Greenbrier Valley Medical Center closed its labor and delivery room in April as it transitioned to being a critical access hospital. A spokesperson for Vandalia Health said at the time the hospital had tried unsuccessfully for two years to recruit a physician for the delivery room.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Thursday that the school and Vandalia Health will establish an Academic Integration Agreement that calls for the hospital to reopen obstetric services at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center. The governor made the announcement at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, West Virginia.

Under the agreement, WVSOM will become Vandalia Health’s primary academic affiliation, with implementation beginning in phases on July 1, 2027, a news release says.

Morrisey also announced that the state will allocate $4 million in Rural Health Transformation Programs funds to establish the state’s second freestanding birthing center and address complex labor and delivery births.

“We are restoring essential healthcare services to the Greenbrier Valley by reopening labor and delivery at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center,” Morrisey said in the news release. “This historic partnership between two of West Virginia’s leading healthcare institutions, combined with a nearly $4 million investment, will build a stronger, more sustainable maternal healthcare system that serves mothers, babies, and families for years to come.”

Greenbrier County isn’t the only part of the state that’s had a shortage of maternity care. According to a 2024 report from the March of Dimes, about half of the 55 counties in West Virginia are “maternity care deserts,” compared with 32.6% in the United States. Twenty-two percent of West Virginia women have no birthing hospital within 30 minutes, compared to 9.7% in the rest of the country, the report says.

The planned reopening will restore local access to deliveries requiring hospital resources, including C-sections, epidurals, and care for higher-risk pregnancies, the governor’s office said.

“The challenge of providing OB/GYN and maternity healthcare in rural areas is not just a Greenbrier Valley issue. According to the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO), more than half of rural counties do not have a hospital that provides these services,” WVSOM President James W. Nemitz said in a news release. “WVSOM is honored to participate in this effort to resolve that issue for our region. What an appropriate use of Rural Health Transformation Program funding. We are proud of Dr. Drema Hill’s involvement and look forward to working with the other partners and Gov. Morrisey’s team.”