A pregnant woman from Lincoln County has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop an upcoming vote that could lead to the closure of maternity services at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta.
MaineHealth, which operates the hospital, is expected to vote Thursday on whether to shut down Lincoln Hospital’s labor and delivery unit.
The health system has cited staffing challenges and a declining number of births among the reasons it is considering ending the service.
The possibility of losing Lincoln County’s only labor and delivery center has generated significant opposition. Protests against the proposed closure have drawn residents as well as several political candidates, including gubernatorial candidates Hannah Pingree and Rick Bennett and U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson.
If MaineHealth approves the closure, Lincoln Hospital would become the 12th maternity unit in Maine to shut down over the past decade.
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