For many years, Harlingen Medical Center has delivered thousands of babies with clinical excellence and compassion, earning national accolades for quality patient care. Our teams in obstetrics / gynecology and labor and delivery consistently deliver high-quality service and have done so for the past two decades. However, declining birth rates over the last several years have led Harlingen Medical Center to carefully evaluate its obstetrics services.
In an effort to ensure it continues to provide essential services based on community need, Harlingen Medical Center announced that effective January 10, 2025, that it will continue to care for gynecological patients but will no longer perform deliveries of newborns, due to insufficient volume of maternity patients. Harlingen Medical Center has experienced a downward trend in deliveries over recent years in its eight-bed maternity unit. The hospital will continue to provide gynecologic services, and emergency care will be provided for expectant mothers who may present at the Harlingen Medical Center Emergency Department.
The need for perinatal care and labor and delivery at Harlingen Medical Center is not what it once was, and this leads us to focus on redirecting resources to where there is greater demand. Serving the healthcare needs of our patients today, and into the future, remains our top priority.
As it has for the past 22 years, Harlingen Medical Center will continue to invest in critically needed services with patient-focused care and award-winning clinical excellence, including for gynecology, emergency, cardiovascular, orthopedic, gastroenterology, imaging, bariatric, and wound care patients. For more information, please visit www.HarlingenMedicalCenter.com.
A comprehensive transition plan is in place to ensure expectant mothers receive the necessary support for their delivery care plans and are seamlessly connected to nearby hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley. For instance:
Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen: Located at 2101 Pease St, Harlingen, TX 78550, just 1.4 miles away. Contact: (956) 389-1100.
Valley Regional Medical Center: Located at 100 E Alton Gloor Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78526, approximately 17.6 miles away. Contact: (956) 350-7000.
Knapp Medical Center: Located at 1401 E 8th St, Weslaco, TX 78596, about 20.8 miles away. Contact: (956) 968-8567.
“Thank you to our dedicated obstetric and labor and delivery teams for their hard work and loyalty to patients, families, and Harlingen Medical Center,” said Kathleen Avila, Regional Business Development Director for Harlingen Medical Center, Knapp Medical Center and Mission Regional Medical Center. “Our caregivers have helped thousands of families experience the birthing journey and welcome new loved ones into their lives.”
Employees impacted by this transition will be offered positions in other departments of the hospital or at other Prime Healthcare facilities in the nearby area and across the country.