ZACHARY — Lane Regional Medical Center announced on Wednesday that its inpatient Labor and Delivery Unit will close Sunday.

Lane Regional Medical Center physicians Dr. Joshua Best, Dr. Samantha Bland, and Dr. Nikki Gautreaux will join the medical staff at Woman’s Hospital and begin delivering babies at Woman’s Hospital on Monday.

“We recognize the importance of the Labor and Delivery unit to the families who have relied on
Lane for generations,” CEO Frank Corcoran said in a prepared statement. “At the same time, the volume of deliveries made it increasingly difficult for Lane to sustain the service independently. This transition gives women access to delivery services through Woman's while preserving prenatal care in Zachary.”

Lane and Woman’s Hospital are in discussions for Woman’s Hospital to assume ownership and
operation of Lane’s outpatient OB/GYN clinic, according to the announcement. This partnership would ensure the clinic remains open at its current location on Lane’s campus, continuing to provide women’s health, prenatal and postpartum care for patients in Zachary and surrounding communities.

Lane continues discussions with other healthcare organizations about potential strategic
affiliations involving other areas of the hospital's operations.

WBRZ first reported in July that the hospital center was exploring partnerships with larger systems in the area as it grappled with ongoing financial strain. In August, Lane announced it was eliminating 14 positions, as well as closing its Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Clinic amid a series of organizational changes.