Platte County Hospital to pause maternity services
WHEATLAND – Banner Platte County Hospital will suspend inpatient labor and delivery services effective Oct. 15, the hospital announced Sunday.
The pause affects labor and delivery services, well-newborn inpatient care and outpatient prenatal care. All other hospital services will continue operating normally.
Hospital officials cited physician recruitment challenges and declining delivery volumes as primary factors in the decision.
The move follows what administrators called an “extensive evaluation” of the maternity program’s viability.
“This is one of the most challenging decisions a small, rural hospital can face,” said Sandy Dugger, chief executive officer of the Banner Platte County Hospital. “This decision is not a reflection of our exceptional obstetric nurses or providers, who provide outstanding care and deeply care for our expectant mothers and newborns.”
The Wheatland Banner Health Clinic stopped accepting new obstetric patients Sept. 15.
Existing patients will receive support transitioning to providers of their choice, with hospital staff contacting affected patients directly about transition options and medical record transfers.
Patients seeking assistance with care transitions can call the clinic at 307- 322-3861. Banner Health officials said the organization remains committed to recruiting full-time, qualified obstetric providers to rebuild the program.
The Arizona-based nonprofit health system operates 33 hospitals across six states.
The decision reflects industry-wide challenges facing rural hospitals, including declining delivery volumes over several years and provider recruitment difficulties.
“While these changes are challenging, we are committed to our community and are making changes to this service line to best meet the community’s needs,” Dugger said.
Platte County HOspital and the Wheatland and Guernsey clinics remain open for all other services and will continue providing essential health care services to the community.
Platte County Hospital has served the region since 1955, providing emergency care, inpatient services, cardiopulmonary care, inpatient and ambulatory surgery, laboratory and medical imaging services alongside the suspended maternity care.
The hospital serves residents throughout Platte County in southeastern Wyoming.
This story was published on Sept. 24, 2025.