Watsonville Hospital Leaders Say Closing Maternity Ward May Be Needed to Avoid Shutting Down by April 2027

HPV Vaccination Before First Pregnancy Linked to 15% Lower Odds of Very Preterm Birth in Swedish Registry DataA BMJ study of 624,713 Swedish births linked HPV vaccination before pregnancy to 15% lower odds of very preterm birth. What families should know. Ozempic and Zepbound Makers Report Slower Aging Clocks, but Unreviewed Data Do Not Prove Patients Age SlowerNovo Nordisk and Eli Lilly say GLP-1 drugs slowed aging clocks, but the data are early and unreviewed. Here is what patients should know. Had Gestational Diabetes or Postpartum Depression? Large Study Links Pregnancy History to Later Heart and Kidney RiskA study of 1.4 million women links pregnancy complications to later heart, diabetes, and kidney risk. What to tell your doctor at checkups. Dementia Patients Overweight or Obese at Diagnosis Had Up to 27% Lower Death Risk, Raising Caregiver Nutrition QuestionsA national study of 4,523 U.S. adults with dementia linked higher weight at diagnosis to longer survival. Here is what it means for caregivers. Mental Health Frequent Mental Distress in Adults 18 to 29 Climbed From 12.7% to 21.3% Since 2012 Despite Recent DeclinesCDC data show 1 in 5 adults 18 to 29 report frequent mental distress, up from 2012 but down two years straight. Where to find help today. Veterans’ PTSD and Depression Relief After Ibogaine Largely Held for a Year in Small Stanford Study of 30Most veterans in a small Stanford ibogaine study kept their PTSD gains at 12 months, but the study had no control group, and heart risks remain. Hymns and Childhood Songs Topped the Phantom Music 81 Patients Heard, and Hearing Loss Was Often Not the CauseA Dutch study of people who hear music that isn’t playing found that half had no documented hearing loss, and most found the music a burden. Childhood Abuse Linked to Brain Structure Differences in 3,711 Brain Scans, with Stronger Patterns Seen in Young WomenA UCLA-led study of 3,711 brain scans links childhood abuse to brain structure differences. It shows an association, not a cause, and needs follow-up. Innovation Tech and AI Firms Lobbied Federal Health Officials in a CMS-Run Slack as Medicare Promotes Commercial Health AppsA KFF Health News probe found tech firms lobbying officials in a CMS-run Slack. What it means for seniors using Medicare-promoted health apps. CDC Closes Angola and South Sudan Offices, with Zimbabwe Next as U.S. Ties Health Aid to Country DealsThe CDC shut its Angola and South Sudan offices Oct. 1, with Zimbabwe next. Here is what the new aid deals require and what they mean for U.S. travelers. Vanderbilt Surgeons Transplant Children as Young as 2 Days Old Using Donor Hearts Recovered with Cold Oxygen FlushVanderbilt surgeons used a cold oxygen flush called REUP to recover donor hearts for children as young as 2 days old. Results are early but promising. Rhapsido Becomes First FDA-Approved Treatment for Hives Triggered by Scratching, but Fewer Than a Third Fully ClearedThe FDA approved Rhapsido for symptomatic dermographism, hives set off by scratching. In its trial, 29.3% fully cleared vs. 14.0% on placebo. Healthy Living Pallone Bill Would End Surprise Billing Arbitration in 2028 and Set Out-of-Network Pay at Insurers’ Median RatesA new House bill would replace No Surprises Act arbitration with a median in-network payment standard. What it could mean for premiums and bills. Carnivore Dieters’ LDL Cholesterol Jumped Nearly 100 Points in a German Study, and a 2026 Review Won’t Endorse the Diet Long TermA German study saw carnivore dieters’ LDL jump nearly 100 points, and a 2026 review says the meat-only diet can’t be recommended long-term. Twice as Many U.S. Hospitals Closed as Opened From 2010 to 2025, Leaving More Than 24,000 Fewer BedsA JAMA analysis finds 432 U.S. hospitals closed and 216 opened since 2010, with urban and rural areas hit at similar rates. What it means for care. Three Colorado Women Developed Blurred Vision and Weakness After Unapproved Botulinum Toxin Shots at a Medical SpaA CDC report links symptoms in three Colorado women to an unapproved botulinum toxin product used at a medical spa. What patients should ask first. Covid – 19 FDA Proposes Requiring Companies to Report Food Additives That Now Reach Grocery Shelves Without Federal ReviewFDA has released its proposed GRAS rule requiring companies to notify the agency about food additives. Here is what the proposal does and does not do. Federal Regulators Warn Some Hair Dryer Brushes Lack the Part That Stops ElectrocutionCPSC warns hair dryer brushes sold on Walmart.com and TikTok Shop lack immersion protection. The seller has not agreed to a recall or refund. A Recalled Teething Toy Broke the Pattern Parents Were Told to Look ForA newly recalled pull-string teething toy has a different model number and design from earlier recalls, and one choking incident has been reported. Trying to Lower Blood Sugar, Cholesterol or Blood Pressure? Different Workouts Suited Different MarkersA pooled analysis of 53 trials found that different exercise types helped different metabolic markers. Most of the evidence was low certainty. YURIY DYACHYSHYN | AFP via Getty Images Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket Expecting families in California’s Pajaro Valley are facing a hard new question: where will they give birth next spring? Leaders at Watsonville Community Hospital have warned that the hospital may have to close its labor and delivery unit or risk shutting down entirely by April 2027, according to Santa Cruz Local.

No decision has been made. But the warning lands on a hospital that already closed its neonatal intensive care unit in July and that delivers roughly 31% of all babies born in Santa Cruz County, Lookout Santa Cruz reported on Sept. 28.

For a pregnant worker in Watsonville or Pajaro, the issue is personal. It shapes which hospital to plan for, how far a partner may drive during labor, and how a family would visit a newborn who needs extra care.

The warning surfaced at a special board meeting of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which runs the hospital, on Sept. 22. The hospital lost more than $23 million in 2025 and is losing about $85,000 a day in operations, according to Santa Cruz Local. A $10.6 million state grant helped keep it afloat, but that money has already run out.

Interim CEO Tim Moran described the hospital’s position in an email to Santa Cruz Local. “The hospital is running with approximately eight days of cash on hand. Growth initiatives and partnership are being actively pursued, but the results of those efforts will not benefit the hospital for months to come,” he wrote.

Payer mix is central to the strain. Roughly 85% of the hospital’s patients use Medi-Cal or Medicare, Santa Cruz Local reported. Chief Financial Officer Julie Peterson said federal changes under H.R. 1 are expected to cost the hospital $4 million to $6 million over the next year, the Pajaronian reported.

Peterson also told the board the NICU loses close to $2 million a year, and that patient volumes in both the NICU and labor and delivery have fallen in 2026, Lookout reported. “We have been evaluating and hearing all the comments on patient and community impact,” Peterson said. “We do acknowledge that it will be a challenge to maintain any kind of positive community relations with a decision such as this.”

The board heard a presentation and discussion at the special meeting but made no decisions, according to the Pajaronian. Lookout reported that no formal proposal to permanently close both units has been presented to the board.

The Level II NICU, which cares for babies born at 32 weeks or later, closed in July because of a nursing shortage in labor and delivery. There is still no reopening date. Babies who need more care are now transferred to Level III units at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz or Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, Lookout reported.

Moran told Lookout that a pediatrician from Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital assesses newborns to decide “where the baby can receive the necessary care,” and that helicopter transfers for babies in distress are rare.

Families describe a heavier daily burden. Retired NICU nurse Sandra Morioka told Lookout that parents of transferred infants face “three hours a day going back and forth, and taking care of family.” Roseann Farris, an ICU nurse with 30 years at the hospital, warned at the board meeting that NICU closure “can accelerate the closure of the OB department through severe clinical risks,” the Pajaronian reported.

Losing labor and delivery would be a larger change. Watsonville averages about 60 births a month. Nora Yerena, founder of the Watsonville family resource center Raíces y Cariño, described what a longer trip could mean. “If I had to go through the hour-long drive of traffic, at that time, the chances of me not making it there conscious, better yet alive,” she told Santa Cruz Local.

Watsonville would join a long statewide trend. From 2012 to February 2025, 56 California hospitals closed their maternity units, and more than one million California females of reproductive age saw the distance to the nearest birthing hospital grow from 2019 to 2024, according to the California Health Care Foundation. Medi-Cal covered 41% of California births in 2023, the foundation found. MedicalDaily recently reported that most recent obstetric closures nationally have hit urban, not rural, hospitals.

Any closure would not happen overnight. California’s SB 1300, signed in 2024 after a CalMatters investigation, requires hospitals to give 120 days’ notice before closing a maternity unit and to hold a public hearing. Santa Cruz Local reported that the hearing must take place within the first 60 days of that notice period.

The next public opportunity is the district board meeting on Oct. 28, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the hospital’s Community Room at 85 Nielson St. in Watsonville, with Zoom access available. Residents can comment and ask about partnerships that could keep births in the valley. Santa Cruz Local reported that potential partners have included Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, UC San Francisco, Salud Para La Gente and CommonSpirit Health, though talks with one partner fell apart in May and no updates have been shared publicly since.

Pregnant people due in early to mid-2027 have time to plan but should start the conversation now. Families can ask their obstetrician or midwife which hospitals they deliver at, whether care could transfer to Dominican or Natividad, and whether their Medi-Cal plan or private insurance covers those facilities. It also helps to ask about a backup plan if labor is fast, and how a NICU transfer would work.

Families can also map the rush-hour drive to each hospital and keep prenatal records handy. Heavy bleeding, severe headache, vision changes, fluid leaking, or reduced fetal movement call for urgent care at the nearest emergency room, regardless of where delivery was planned.

Watsonville’s maternity ward remains open today, and its future depends on board decisions, state notice rules, and partnership talks. The most useful step for expecting families is a direct talk with their prenatal clinician about where they will deliver and what the backup plan is.

Is Watsonville Community Hospital closing its maternity ward?

Not yet. Hospital leaders said closing labor and delivery is one option to avoid a full hospital shutdown, but no formal proposal has gone to the board, and no vote has been taken.

Leaders warned the hospital could shut by April 2027 if its finances do not improve. The interim CEO said it has about eight days of cash on hand.

No. The Level II NICU closed in July because of staffing shortages and has no reopening date. Babies needing intensive care are transferred to Dominican Hospital or Natividad Medical Center.

Where would Pajaro Valley families give birth if labor and delivery closes?

The nearest alternatives named in local reporting are Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz and Natividad Medical Center in Salinas. Families should confirm with their clinician and insurer which hospital fits their care and coverage.

How much notice is required before a closure?

Under California’s SB 1300, hospitals must give 120 days’ notice before closing a maternity unit and hold a public hearing within the first 60 days.

The Pajaro Valley Health Care District board meets Oct. 28 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the hospital, with Zoom access. Public comment is part of the process.

Talk with an obstetrician or midwife about delivery plans, backup hospitals and insurance coverage. Seek emergency care right away for warning signs such as heavy bleeding, severe headache or reduced fetal movement.