National Park Medical Center and CHI St. Vincent Coordinate OB Services Transition to Support Continued Access to Care

National Park Medical Center (NPMC) and CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs today announced a coordinated plan to support continued access to obstetric care for women and families across the Hot Springs and the surrounding region. As part of the plan, NPMC intends to transition inpatient obstetric services to CHI St. Vincent and other trusted regional care providers at the end of August.

NPMC has been working directly with impacted patients and coordinating closely with CHI St. Vincent and other regional healthcare providers to support a smooth transition of care and ensure continuity of services for women, children, and families throughout the region.

"National Park Medical Center is committed to caring for our community and ensuring patients have access to safe, reliable, high-quality care," said Scott Bailey, chief executive officer of National Park Medical Center. " Like many hospitals across the country, we have faced significant workforce challenges, including the recent and unexpected loss of our sole full-time OB-GYN. Given those challenges and our commitment to preserving access to essential healthcare services, we conducted a thoughtful review of the care options available to women, children, and families across our community and region. We are fortunate to have strong local healthcare partners, including CHI St. Vincent, Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic, HealthStar Physicians and our sister hospital Saline Memorial Hospital, that are well-positioned to help ensure patients continue to receive the care they need close to home.”

CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs has been working with NPMC to coordinate patient care plans, facilitate medical record transfers, and support continuity of care for expectant mothers and their families.

Patients who choose to receive care through CHI St. Vincent will have access to a robust and growing obstetrics and gynecology program, including comprehensive labor and delivery services, specialty women's health care and an experienced team dedicated to caring for mothers and babies.

“CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs is committed to caring for mothers, babies and families across our region,” said Crystal Bohannan, president of CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs. “We value our collaboration with National Park Medical Center and are working closely with their team to help ensure patients experience a seamless transition of care. Our growing OB/GYN program is well-positioned to support these patients and continue providing compassionate, high-quality care throughout their pregnancy, delivery and postpartum journey.”

Due to provider coverage limitations, National Park Medical Center will remain on diversion for obstetric services beginning August 1 while preparations for the transition continue. NPMC will continue supporting patients throughout the transition, including assistance with care coordination and medical record transfers. Pregnant patients who present to the hospital's emergency department will continue to be evaluated, stabilized, and treated or transferred as clinically appropriate.

"This change affects obstetric and gynecologic services only," Bailey said. "National Park Medical Center remains stable, fully operational, and focused on strengthening and expanding the services our community needs, including behavioral health, cardiology, emergency care, surgical services, and other key areas. We will continue working alongside our healthcare partners to support coordinated, high-quality care for women, children, and families and help ensure access to the services they need close to home."

Patients with questions about their care plan are encouraged to contact Physicians for Women at 501.623.6455.

About National Park Medical Center
National Park Medical Center (NPMC), part of Lifepoint Health, a 161-bed full-service acute care hospital located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Guided by a mission of making communities healthier, NPMC offers a wide range of medical services including cardiology, emergency services, image and surgical services, physical therapy and rehabilitation and much more. The hospital’s deep commitment to meeting the highest national standards for quality and safety is demonstrated by its Joint Commission accreditation and various clinical accreditations and certifications. NPMC is partially owned or invested in by physicians. To learn more about National Park Medical Center, visit NationalParkMedical.com

About CHI St. Vincent

CHI St. Vincent is a regional health network serving Arkansas since 1888 with a history of many firsts. Headquartered in Little Rock, the network includes primary care, specialty clinics, urgent care, hospitals, home health, rehabilitation and surgery centers across the state. U.S. News & World Report ranks CHI St. Vincent as No. 1 in Central Arkansas for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, and as “high performing” in multiple areas, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, pacemaker implantation, spinal fusion and transcatheter aortic valve replacement. CHI St. Vincent is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. Learn more at commonspirit.org/stvincent.