Greene County General Hospital (GCGH) announced today that it will discontinue obstetric (OB) services effective January 31, 2026, as part of a planned transition in response to long-term trends affecting rural hospitals across the nation.

The decision follows a comprehensive review of staffing and physician coverage requirements, ongoing reimbursement challenges, and delivery volume. Rising operating costs and payer underpayments continue to place significant pressure on hospitals throughout Indiana and the United States while declining birth volume has made it increasingly difficult to maintain the team size and experience mix required for a 24/7 OB program. “While this is a difficult decision; it reflects the realities faced by rural hospitals everywhere,” said Brenda Reetz, CEO of Greene County General Hospital. “Reimbursement rates have not kept up with the cost of care. Maintaining continuous physician and nursing coverage is increasingly challenging with such a small number of providers, and our delivery volume has decreased over time. This transition is necessary to ensure that we continue delivering high-quality care for the long term.”

Although deliveries will move to neighboring hospitals beginning in February 2026, prenatal, perinatal, postpartum, and women’s health (GYN) care will remain available locally at My Linton Clinic.

Nurse Midwife Kim Riggins will continue providing prenatal and women’s health services.
Dr. Cam Gabrielsen, General Surgeon, will continue to provide GYN surgical procedures locally.
The hospital’s Perinatal Navigator Team will continue to support patients with education, care coordination, and assistance selecting the neighboring hospital where they plan to deliver.
GCGH is also adding a Quality Nurse specializing in Maternal, Fetal, and Pediatric Readiness, further strengthening the hospital’s emergency preparedness for maternal and pediatric cases presenting to the Emergency Department.

Patients will be able to choose among several neighboring hospitals for delivery, including Daviess Community Hospital, Sullivan County Community Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital (Vincennes), IU Health Bloomington Hospital, Deaconess Women’s Hospital, and Union Hospital (Terre Haute).

Reetz emphasized that the OB transition is not a sign that the hospital is in danger of closing.

“Greene County General Hospital is not among the rural hospitals identified as vulnerable for closure,” Reetz stated. “However, like all hospitals, we are facing increasing financial pressures— payer denials, underpayments, Medicaid cuts, and rising costs for supplies, equipment, and staffing. These pressures are reducing access to certain healthcare services statewide and nationally. This OB transition is part of our strategic plan to protect the essential services our community relies on.”

GCGH will communicate directly with current OB patients regarding the transition and will provide personalized support throughout the process. The hospital will also offer resources to staff during the transition, including a retention plan for OB nurses through January 31, 2026, and priority consideration for internal job opportunities. For more information, patients may contact My Linton Clinic at 812-847-4481 or visit www.greenecountyhospital.com.