A Message for Expecting Mothers
Preparing to welcome your baby is a special and meaningful time. At ChristianaCare, we are honored to care for you and your family and remain committed to providing high‑quality, compassionate care every step of the way.
We have important information to share with you.
Union Hospital Family Birth Center Will Close, Effective June 30
Last Updated 6/24/26
Effective June 30, ChristianaCare will close the Family Birth Center at Union Hospital. This decision reflects long-term changes in the community and is designed to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality care that reflects the evolving health needs of the community. For more information about the closure, please click here.Until June 30, full obstetric and pediatric services at Union Hospital are available Mondays at 8 a.m. Through Wednesdays at 11:59 p.m. If you believe you are in labor or need care during these times, you may come to Union Hospital. Union Hospital’s ambulatory women’s health services will remain open for outpatient care.
Public Information Meeting June 11, 2026 (Click here for a written summary)
As of July 1, 2026, labor and delivery services are longer available at Union Hospital. Patients should follow the delivery plan developed with their provider. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department. Union Hospital’s Emergency Department remains open 24/7 and will evaluate and care for emergency patients according to emergency protocols.
Women’s Health Services Continue at Union
While labor and delivery services at Union Hospital have ended, women’s health services continue through our OB/GYN practice. We offer prenatal care, postpartum care and support from our Nurse Navigator and Lactation Specialist.
For appointments or more information, please visit Women’s Health or contact Union OB/GYN at 443‑245‑7377.
Please know that our care teams are here to support you, answer your questions, and help you plan with confidence.
Thank you for planning ahead and allowing us to be a part of your baby’s arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
We see and hear those who have shared their thoughts about our recent announcement regarding a reduction in hours and staffing in our Labor and Delivery unit in Union Hospital. This is a challenging time and we’re continuing to put the health, safety and wellbeing of new moms and newborns first and foremost.
Frequently Asked Questions from Public Information Meeting:
This decision reflects several realities that have changed over time: a decline in births at Union Hospital, an ongoing shortage of obstetricians and pediatricians, and changing needs within Cecil County, including an increase in more complex pregnancies and an aging population in our community.
This is not a decision based on finances. Instead, the primary drivers are a decline in births at Union Hospital, an ongoing shortage of obstetricians and pediatricians, and Cecil County’s changing needs. Reliable and high-quality labor and delivery care depends on having consistent patient volume, the right level of staffing, and access to specialized support when needed. When those key elements change over time, it impacts our ability to provide reliable and sustainable care.
Union Hospital’s doors remain open. The hospital’s Emergency Department is open 24/7, which can deliver a baby in an emergent situation. Prenatal and postpartum care will continue at our Obstetrics & Gynecology outpatient practice in Elkton. Pediatric care, including for newborns, will continue through our primary care practices in Cecil County. ChristianaCare also will continue serving Cecil County patients through labor and delivery care at its Newark Campus. The closure only affects Union Hospital’s Family Birth Center.
Patients should work with their providers to choose a delivery location that best fits their needs. Options include ChristianaCare’s Newark Campus or other local hospitals. Our Newark Campus is 13 miles from Union Hospital and offers advanced maternity care, including a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for high-risk needs. In an emergency, patients should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department, including at Union Hospital, where they will be evaluated and cared for according to emergency protocols.
ChristianaCare has been actively working to contract with all Maryland Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). Many Medicaid contracts are already in place to support care across Maryland/Delaware state lines, and ChristianaCare will continue its contracting efforts with respect to any Maryland Medicaid MCO for which a contract is not yet in place. Coverage can vary by plan, so patients should speak directly with their provider or care team about their individual circumstances. Patients with Maryland Medicaid coverage who arrive on one of ChristianaCare’s Delaware campuses will receive care, and ChristianaCare will not directly bill patients with Maryland Medicaid coverage for these services. To assist patients with insurance concerns and delivery planning, a nurse navigator has been hired into our Obstetrics & Gynecology outpatient practice in Elkton.
We recognize that transportation is a serious concern for some patients. We are working with patients through their care teams to plan ahead for delivery needs and connect them with available support. Patients with concerns should speak with their provider as early as possible so the team can help plan for their specific situation. To assist patients with delivery options and needs, including transportation concerns, a nurse navigator has been hired into the Obstetrics & Gynecology outpatient practice in Elkton.
ChristianaCare has worked for many years to recruit and maintain coverage, but recruitment for obstetricians and pediatricians has become increasingly difficult, particularly in smaller and lower-volume settings. Sustaining labor and delivery services requires consistent coverage from specialized providers, and the current reliance on temporary staffing is not a reliable long-term model. Additionally, more recently, we have struggled to even find providers through temporary staffing, further exacerbating the issue.
The challenges related to the pediatrician and obstetrician staffing at Union Hospital are not new, and they are not unique to our organization. Even before ChristianaCare acquired Union Hospital in 2020, there were significant difficulties recruiting and retaining pediatricians and obstetricians at Union Hospital. We have tried regional and national recruitment efforts, created partnerships, and even explored alternative care models. However, we still continue to see limited applicant interest and ongoing turnover among those recruited. This has led to increasing reliance on temporary staffing, which is not sustainable.
Our responsibility is that every patient receives care in a setting that is supported by a reliable, full, and coordinated team. When we cannot consistently provide that level of support, we must make difficult decisions in the best interest of patients and families.
Since the time of prior investments, birth volumes have continued to decline at Union Hospital, and recruitment challenges have intensified. Those changes required a new assessment of what could be sustained over the long term.
This decision is not a reflection of the quality, dedication, or compassion of the Family Birth Center team. Approximately 31 caregivers are impacted in various roles. ChristianaCare is providing these caregivers with Human Resources support and priority consideration for open roles across the system, including opportunities at Union Hospital and other campuses based on their training and interest.
The Family Birth Center at Union Hospital will close on June 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. This decision followed careful review of volume trends, workforce challenges, patient acuity, and long-term sustainability.
ChristianaCare serves communities across the region, and investments are made based on specific local needs. In Cecil County, Union Hospital’s doors remain open. In addition, prenatal and postpartum care will continue at our Obstetrics & Gynecology outpatient practice in Elkton, and pediatric care, including for newborns, continues through our primary care practices in Cecil County. Union Hospital will continue to carefully consider options for future services that align with its mission and the evolving health needs of the community.
No, it was not. The decision to close the Family Birth Center was made based on the declining birth volumes at Union Hospital, an ongoing shortage of obstetricians and pediatricians, and the changing needs within Cecil County. Our newborn and pediatric patients will have access to care through our primary care offices in Cecil County as well as through CHOP pediatric emergency medicine physicians, pediatric hospitalists, pediatric subspecialists, neonatologists, and advanced practice caregivers who provide specialized, exceptional care at ChristianaCare’s Newark Campus.
We cannot sustain labor and delivery services consistently and reliably at Union Hospital given the volume, acuity, and workforce realities we have described. Additionally, when reviewing current Rising Sun zip code data trends, the majority of deliveries are occurring at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, Maryland.
Deliveries at the Family Birth Center at Union Hospital were never capped.
A lactation education specialist has been hired in our Obstetrics & Gynecology outpatient practice in Elkton to maintain lactation education and support. There will be in-office guidance, complemented by ongoing community-based education offerings, ensuring patients continue to have access to comprehensive breastfeeding education and support both in the clinical setting and in the community.
If a laboring or postpartum patient comes to Union Hospital and requires a transfer to ChristianaCare’s Newark Campus or another hospital, Union Hospital uses private medical transport for those transfers, not EMS. For those laboring patients who may need to call 911 to be transported to a hospital from the community, it is Union Hospital’s experience that there is a very low instance of birthing patients utilizing EMS compared to other ambulance arrivals. According to EMS data, less than one percent (1%) of all ambulance arrivals at Union Hospital on an annual basis have been for obstetrical and gynecological issues, including but not limited to labor and delivery. For these reasons, ChristianaCare does not believe that the closure will strain the EMS system.
Additional Frequently Asked Questions:
Like many hospitals across the country, ChristianaCare is adjusting services to ensure care is supported by the right clinical teams and resources. These changes help us continue to provide high‑quality, reliable care for mothers and babies.
We understand this may feel unsettling, and we truly appreciate your understanding as we support families in our community.
If a transfer is required, you and your baby will travel in separate medical vehicles, so each of you can receive specialized care.
- Each vehicle has its own dedicated medical team.
- Transfers are carefully coordinated.
- Teams aim to depart at the same time whenever possible.
We know this may feel overwhelming, and we work hard to keep you and your baby as close as possible.
Yes. At Christiana Hospital, in Newark, DE, a support person may stay with you. A sleeper sofa is provided.
- 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily
- Overnight allowed in Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, NICU, Pediatrics
- Up to 2 support persons (age 16+) overnight
- Children under 16 are allowed with supervision (except Labor & Delivery and NICU)
Yes. Your OB/GYN and your baby’s pediatrician will receive your records after discharge.
We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Please call Union OBGYN at 443‑245‑7377 if you have questions or need guidance.
4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road
Newark, DE 19718
Parking
- Free visitor parking in the garage in front of the hospital
- Handicap parking on the first level
- Electric vehicle charging on all levels
- DART bus stop on the first level
Our focus is ensuring that expecting moms continue to receive safe, high-quality care, and we’re working closely with teams across the region to support access to services. Pediatric and obstetric services will continue to be provided at Union, but we can no longer provide them 24/7 at the level of care we insist on.
If a patient arrives in active labor, they are evaluated and cared for immediately. No one is turned away. If labor progresses quickly, delivery will occur at Union Hospital. A transfer to the main campus would only be considered if the patient is stable and there is time to safely transfer prior to delivery. When a transfer is needed, our care teams coordinate every aspect of the process, from transportation to a direct clinical handoff between teams, to ensure a safe and seamless transition for both mom and baby.
If a patient arrives in active labor, they are evaluated and cared for immediately, no one is turned away. If labor is progressing quickly, delivery will occur at Union Hospital.
A transfer to the Newark Campus would only be considered if the patient is stable and there is time to transfer prior to delivery. When a transfer is needed, our care teams coordinate every aspect of the process for both mom and baby.
This isn’t isolated. Health systems nationwide are navigating the same workforce challenge, especially in specialized areas like OB and pediatrics. It only takes a small number of vacancies in a specialty like OB to significantly impact coverage schedules.
Our leaders made a deliberate call to concentrate staffing during certain days so patients receive safe, high-quality care, not stretched resources. Full OB and pediatric services are still available part of the week.
Even during divert periods, clinical teams remain in place to assess, stabilize and support patients, with transfers coordinated as needed. This decision was made to protect care quality, provide appropriate staffing, and support caregivers during a national shortage.
We understand this news may be difficult to hear, especially during a time that can already feel busy, emotional and stressful for expectant parents and families. If you have questions or would like to talk through your options, please contact the Union OBGYN office at 443-245-7377.