A Miami-area hospital is closing its labor ward sooner than expected. Here’s why
Jackson South Medical Center has sped up plans to shutter its labor and delivery unit and is now planning to close the ward on Friday, weeks earlier than expected, citing staffing issues.
The sped-up closure comes six weeks after workers were told in a July 2 email from the hospital’s CEO that the unit would shutter in October. The Herald recently obtained the CEO’s email through a public records request.
Nearly a week later, the closure date changed to Sept. 1. Now, the hospital says the unit is expected to shutter Friday, Aug. 15.
“We have experienced ongoing staffing challenges, including frequent call-outs and nurses transferring to other positions, which have made it increasingly difficult to maintain safe staffing levels,” Jackson Health System spokesperson Carla Palmer said in an email. “In addition, all patients who were scheduled to deliver at the hospital have done so, and elective procedures have stopped, reducing demand for this service.”
Jackson South, part of the county’s taxpayer-funded public hospital system, primarily serves patients who live in Perrine, Richmond Heights, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and other parts of southern Miami-Dade. Jackson Health System serves as a safety net for Miami-Dade County and provides care to everyone, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
The nurse transfers are part of the hospital’s efforts to avoid layoffs ahead of the unit’s closure, which hospital executives have previously described as a “data-driven” decision, fueled by declining birth trends and a push to expand care for cardiology, urology and other more in-demand services.
Jackson South has delivered fewer babies in the past decade compared to other hospitals in Miami-Dade, state data shows. In 2024, it delivered 465 babies, about 2% of all births in the county, preliminary state data shows. Only North Shore Medical Center in North Miami-Dade, which shuttered its unit in February 2024, delivered fewer babies, 136.
Based on preliminary state data, the Miami-Dade hospitals that delivered the most babies in 2024 were The Women’s Hospital on Jackson’s Miami campus, with 4,782 babies; HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami, with 3,664; and Baptist’s South Miami Hospital, with 3,458 babies.
So far, 17 of the 20 nurses who worked in the hospital’s maternity ward have been reassigned to other positions within the hospital system, including at Jackson South, The Women’s Hospital and Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami, according to Palmer.
“We’re pleased that the majority of our team members have selected alternative roles in the health system,” Palmer said, noting that three nurses are still pending reassignments.
Jackson South is the latest hospital in South Florida to close its labor and delivery unit in recent years. The closure comes at a time when many hospitals across the country have shuttered their maternity wards, with administrators often citing high costs, low reimbursement rates, low birth rates and staffing issues.
Recently, Miami-Dade County has recorded some of its lowest birth numbers in 20 years, with 26,003 babies born last year, preliminary state data shows. Nationally, births hit a record low in 2024 as more women wait longer to have children or decide to not have any at all.
Doctors, midwives and maternal health advocates have expressed concern over South Florida’s recent obstetric unit closures, which, like in other parts of the U.S., are disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic communities, two groups usually at higher risk for pregnancy-related complications and death.
Jackson South CEO Edward Borrego, in his email to staff, said the hospital plans to convert the ward’s “many semi-private patient rooms into private rooms, aligning with current market standards and ensuring an enhanced experience for our patients and their loved ones while in our care.”
Jackson says patients can still get prenatal, postpartum and emergency care at Jackson South but will need to go to another hospital for delivery. Borrego said all of Jackson South’s OB-GYNs are authorized to deliver at Jackson North in North Miami-Dade and at The Women’s Hospital at Jackson’s main Miami campus, which the CEO says is better equipped to handle high-risk pregnancies. Jackson’s main Miami campus also houses the largest Level 4 NICU in Miami-Dade, which provides the highest level of care for premature and critically ill newborns.
Other hospitals with labor and delivery units that are relatively near Jackson South include Kendall’s Baptist Hospital and South Miami Hospital, both run by Baptist Health South Florida, the region’s largest not-for-profit healthcare system.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
