This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania.ST. MARYS — Despite grassroots efforts to prevent Elk County from becoming the latest rural Pennsylvania community to lose labor and delivery services, its hospital shuttered the maternity unit last week.
The group also asked the health system to delay closing birth services at Penn Highlands Elk until at least November to give patients and emergency staff more time to plan for the change and explore other options, such as working with other providers or finding grants to support birth services. Laboon did not answer whether Penn Highlands considered local offers to alleviate challenges or address community concerns about staffing and space at the DuBois hospital.