The Oregon Health Authority announced Friday that federal and state regulators have extended the deadline for Legacy Health to reopen the maternity department at its Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham until Aug. 3.
Legacy closed the birth center, the only one serving east Multnomah County, on March 17, saying it had no choice after most of the doctors working in the ward quit after learning of Legacy’s plan to restructure operations to cut costs.
On March 29, the Oregon Health Authority denied Legacy’s request to close the birthing center, saying the closure could endanger pregnant patients and their babies. The health authority wields a heavy hammer. If a healthcare facility is found to be out of compliance with its state license, it has 90 days to return to compliance or risk losing the ability to bill Medicare and Medicaid, which would be financially devastating.
The deadline for the birth center to reopen was extended after Legacy updated their plan to address issues regulators found.
Cara Biddlecom, Oregon Health Authority’s public health deputy director, said in a news release, “We recognize the progress Legacy has made toward our shared goal to ensure that families in the Gresham area have access to safe, high-quality maternity and delivery care close to home. We will provide a thorough and timely review of Legacy’s corrective action plan to ensure that it meets federal standards and families can count on having access to comprehensive care at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in the future.”
— The Oregonian/OregonLive