Bryn Mawr nonprofit, Lifecycle Wellness will officially end deliveries in February as financial pressures mount, writes Sarah Gantz for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The center helped roughly 600 patients annually at its Bryn Mawr facility with homelike births outside a hospital setting. The company said that rising operational expenses and soaring malpractice insurance costs have outpaced reimbursement rates.
Leaders noted that statewide changes in malpractice venue rules, allowing lawsuits to be filed in plaintiff-friendly Philadelphia courts, have hit independent providers especially hard. Lifecycle is currently facing seven lawsuits, part of a broader climate that has challenged even major health systems.
Families expecting to deliver before the end of January will remain under Lifecycle’s care. Others will work with staff to find new providers. Limited prenatal, postnatal, gynecological, mental-health, and lactation services will continue through March as the nonprofit winds down.
The closure leaves many Montgomery and Delaware County families searching for alternatives to traditional hospital births. Main Line Health, which operates Bryn Mawr Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center, says it is prepared for increased volume.
To learn more about Lifecycle Wellness and its legacy, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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