CHULA VISTA, Calif. — South Bay health care workers and their supporters pounded the pavement Tuesday to protest Scripps Mercy Chula Vista's decision to close its maternity ward.
The department will be consolidated with Scripps Mercy in Hillcrest: a decision that critics say will hurt many of the mothers and babies they should be helping.
Dr. Latisa Carson is an OB/GYN for Scripps Mercy Chula Vista, and said many of these patients are often from low-income communities and simply won't, or can't, travel the 12 miles or so to Hillcrest.
"In the South Bay area, it won't work," she said, pointing out that many patients rely on public transportation.
"They arrive by bus on this street, they arrive by trolley. They have cars that may not be able to work well to go that far, and that's a lot of gas," she added.
As part of this consolidation, more than 130 positions will be eliminated, although Scripps has said they would try to place those employees facing lay-offs into other open positions.
For many of these workers, though, it is the patients — mothers and babies — who matter most.
"They deserve all the good care they can get from us," said one nurse participating at Tuesday's rally.
Scripps has also said that this consolidation is necessary to alleviate rising numbers of patients in its emergency department in Chula Vista.
OB/GYN Dr. Kofi Sefa-Boakye said if that's the case, then the hospital in Chula Vista should expand its ER.
"Then let's build one for them, but not cut out another portion of the hospital that is critical, we think," Sefa-Boakye said.
Scripps also said that it will still offer emergency obstetrics services in Chula Vista.
Dr. Carson pointed out that ER physicians, while trained in emergency situations, are not specialists in obstetrics.
"Patients and the baby can die within minutes if they're not taken care of quickly," she added "They're not surgeons. They can't do an immediate C-section, so the ER is restricted in what it can do for an obstetrical emergency."
"We feel that Scripps should take a second look at this,'" said Dr. Sefa-Boakye.
But even if Scripps does not change course, Dr. Carson said it is critical to speak out.
"The public deserves our perspective and the people need to be heard," Dr. Carson told CBS 8, "so we are the voice of the voiceless. Some of our patients are afraid to speak up, so we are just going to do what we can to be their voice."
This consolidation could take place by early summer, once a 90-day notice-and-comment period, mandated by the state, is completed.
In a statement, Scripps told CBS 8:
"Scripps is committed to maintaining safe, high-quality emergency obstetrics services at Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista, both now and after the consolidation with Scripps Mercy San Diego is complete. We are continuing to work on the specific operational details of our OB services plan at Chula Vista as we move through the early stages of the 90-day regulatory notice period. We will ensure safe labor and delivery services with appropriate staffing, as well as safe handoffs and transfers after delivery, including neonatal transfers requiring intensive care with our partners at Rady Children's Hospital. In addition, Scripps is providing full transparency to the California Department of Public Health and is completing all regulatory requirements related to this transition."
WATCH RELATED: CA Dept. of Public Health asked to investigate Scripps Chula Vista maternity ward closure (March 18, 2024)