Damariscotta community members fight to keep birthing center open

 Jamie Wallace, left, and Leah Hurwitz pose for a portrait with their daughter Veda Wallace on June 24 in Damariscotta. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) DAMARISCOTTA — Leah Hurwitz said if it hadn’t been for the local hospital being a short drive from her home, she wouldn’t be the mother of a 7-month-old girl. Hurwitz said she almost didn’t make it to MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital when she started going into labor at 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 19. Once there, her daughter Veda was breech, delivered feet first. “Her head got stuck on the way out,” she said. “A lot of things went wrong.” [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_0070.jpeg) Leah Hurwitz with her husband, Jamie Wallace, and their oldest daughter, Peninnah, after giving birth to daughter Veda on Nov. 19, 2025, at MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital. (Contributed by Leah Hurwitz) Veda lost oxygen for seven minutes and, after birth, was transferred from the hospital in Damariscotta to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she spent 15 days in intensive care, Hurwitz said. “This was literally life or death,” she said, adding she wouldn’t have Veda if it weren’t for her local hospital. “I don’t know if I would be here.” Lincoln Hospital is about nine miles from Hurwitz’s home in Round Pond. The next-closest hospitals from there are in Brunswick and Rockport, both about a 50-minute drive. Driving that far, she said, would have threatened both of their lives. Advertisement A recent proposal under consideration by Lincoln Hospital officials to shutter the birthing center has [drawn pushback from community members](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/02/damariscotta-hospital-considering-closing-its-birthing-center-2/), including Hurwitz. A local grassroots coalition has formed to try to save it. Organizers said they’ve collected thousands of petition signatures, held a rally in Damariscotta during a downpour that attracted hundreds, and packed the hospital’s public forums in the picturesque coastal city. At one in early June, some attendees held up a sign that read: “WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR COMMUNITY IF YOU CAN’T BE BORN HERE, YOU CAN ONLY DIE?” Hospital officials say many headwinds — primarily low birth rates and difficulty attracting obstetricians and nurse-midwives — are making it hard to keep the ward open. A final decision has not been made by MaineHealth, which is the largest hospital system in the state and owns Lincoln Hospital. “None of us want to close labor and delivery,” said Cindy Wade, Lincoln Hospital’s president. “We are struggling to maintain this service. We haven’t had a full-time OB/GYN in five years.” Some are hoping to delay making that call. Since 2015, 11 birthing centers in Maine have closed, including three last year at Houlton Regional Hospital, Waldo Hospital and Northern Light Inland Hospital, which shut down entirely. Advertisement If the ward at Lincoln Hospital were to close, some area residents would have to travel to MaineHealth’s Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick or Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport for care. From Damariscotta, those trips could take about 35 to 45 minutes — and potentially longer during the summer tourist season or on bad winter weather days. MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta is about an hour drive. Hurwitz, 36, who has two children and owns a cleaning business with her husband, said she would not have more children if the birthing center closes. “If there is no local labor and delivery, there is no way I would ever have a child again,” she said. “No way would I risk putting my family through that again. I could go without a Target in town, but we need healthcare.” ‘WE’RE YOUR PATIENTS’ [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3809.jpg) Moira Rose Richards, left, Margaret Reynolds and Leslie Wolf pose for a portrait on June 24 in Damariscotta. They formed the Miles Delivers Action Coalition — Lincoln Hospital was formerly named Miles — in May. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F07%5C%2F43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3809.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Moira%20Rose%20Richards%2C%20left%2C%20Margaret%20Reynolds%20and%20Leslie%20Wolf%20pose%20for%20a%20portrait%20on%20June%2024%20in%20Damariscotta.%20They%20formed%20the%20Miles%20Delivers%20Action%20Coalition%20%5Cu2014%20Lincoln%20Hospital%20was%20formerly%20named%20Miles%20%5Cu2014%20in%20May.%20%28Joe%20Phelan%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) The Lincoln Hospital board is set to vote on whether to recommend the ward’s closure, as will a regional hospital board, before the issue goes to the MaineHealth board as soon as August. If the decision is to close, that could happen as soon as December, Wade said. Three Lincoln County friends, who are all considering having more children, are hoping to prevent that. Margaret Reynolds, Moira Rose Richards and Leslie Wolf formed the Miles Delivers Action Coalition — Lincoln Hospital was formerly named Miles — in May. They said the community response has been overwhelming. Advertisement Wolf, who is pregnant with her first child, said she moved to Damariscotta last year from Portland in part because Lincoln Hospital has a maternity ward. “It sends a powerful message when you tell people you can’t give birth here,” she said. “If labor and delivery closes, you are actively discouraging people from moving here. It turns into even more of a retirement community than it already is.” [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Damariscotta-hospital-banner.jpg) Attendees hold a banner at a public forum at Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta in June. (Drew Johnson/Staff Writer) Hospitals across the country have shuttered maternity wards, with 537 closing and only 138 opening between 2010 and 2022, according to [research by the University of Pennsylvania](https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/over-500-u-s-hospitals-have-stopped-delivering-babies-since-2010/). Over half of all rural hospitals in the United States don’t offer obstetric care, according to the research. While MaineHealth did not cite costs as a reason to consider closing Lincoln’s labor and delivery unit, rural hospitals in general have lower operating margins, said Zachary Levinson, project director on hospital costs at KFF, a national health policy think tank. He said birthing centers have large fixed costs, which make it difficult to keep maternity wards open in regions with aging populations. Related [Mirroring national trend, birthing centers closing in Maine](https://www.pressherald.com/2024/12/20/closure-of-maines-rural-birthing-centers-part-of-national-crisis/) Other hospitals in Maine that closed their birthing centers have cited costs as one of the reasons. The U.S. birth rate has declined since the mid-2000s, and Maine is no exception. The number of births in Maine dropped from 12,678 in 2014 to 11,783 in 2025, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Births at Lincoln Hospital have gone up in the last few years, but are still down compared to 20 years ago. There were 224 births there in 2006 and 131 last year, according to statistics provided by the hospital. Wade, who said she gave birth to her own daughter at the hospital, said there is not enough volume to attract employees who want to do more deliveries. She said that at full staffing they would employ four physicians and four nurse-midwives, but they currently only have one part time OB/GYN and two nurse-midwives. That means the staff has to be on call more, Wade said, while health professionals they are trying to hire want to be on call less. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__4035.jpg) MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital President Cindy Wade poses for a portrait in front of the hospital in Damariscotta on June 24. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F07%5C%2F43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__4035.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22MaineHealth%20Lincoln%20Hospital%20President%20Cindy%20Wade%20poses%20for%20a%20portrait%20in%20front%20of%20the%20hospital%20in%20Damariscotta%20on%20June%2024.%20%28Joe%20Phelan%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) Levinson, of KFF, said rural hospitals overall “have a hard time attracting healthcare workers.” The local coalition of moms trying to save the birthing center put together a promotional packet to give to prospective Lincoln Hospital employees, touting the benefits of working there and living in Damariscotta or nearby towns. Reynolds, one of the group’s founders, said she hopes the hospital works with them. “Who wouldn’t want to live in this cute community?” Reynolds said. “We’re asking the hospital to come on, work with us. We’re not your enemies. We’re your patients.” Advertisement Wade and Dr. Timothy Fox, chief medical officer at Lincoln Hospital, said they appreciate the input, and that they’ve met with the coalition and other community members. Fox said they’ve offered incentives to lure obstetricians and nurse-midwives — such as assistance paying back student loans, signing bonuses and covering relocation costs — to no avail. “All of the solutions that they’ve come up with,” Fox said, “we’ve looked at or tried already.” [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3956.jpg) MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Timothy Fox on June 24 at the hospital in Damariscotta. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F07%5C%2F43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3956.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22MaineHealth%20Lincoln%20Hospital%20Chief%20Medical%20Officer%20Dr.%20Timothy%20Fox%20on%20June%2024%20at%20the%20hospital%20in%20Damariscotta.%20%28Joe%20Phelan%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) **‘WE NEED MORE CHILDREN HERE’** Les Fossel, a Lincoln Hospital board member, doesn’t want to close the center and is hoping MaineHealth will postpone any decisions until 2027. “If it closes, families that would want to have babies here become more reluctant to move here,” Fossel said. “We would become a way station to the cemetery rather than a vibrant community.” Community organizers say the area is growing, with more people moving in. Reynolds said shuttering the birthing center would be a “death knell” to the community. The U.S. Census estimates that Lincoln County has experienced a modest population increase from an estimated 34,000 in 2020 to about 36,000 in 2024, the latest year data is available. Damariscotta’s population has remained flat, and was estimated to be about 2,200 in 2024, according to Census data, while in neighboring Newcastle, the estimated population increased by 300 residents to about 1,900 in 2024. Advertisement [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3937.jpg) Hannah Meneses, 40, manager of King Eider’s Pub in Damariscotta, outside of the restaurant on June 24. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F07%5C%2F43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3937.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Hannah%20Meneses%2C%2040%2C%20manager%20of%20King%20Eider%27s%20Pub%20in%20Damariscotta%2C%20outside%20of%20the%20restaurant%20on%20June%2024.%20%28Joe%20Phelan%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) Hannah Meneses, 40, manager of King Eider’s Pub, a well-known Damariscotta restaurant, said the business is supportive of the effort to save the birthing center. She said the community is changing — they’re seeing more young people with families in the restaurant than they used to a decade ago. People from out of state discovered the Midcoast during the pandemic and some moved there, she said. Closing the birthing center, she said, would be a step backward. “We want to see the community grow,” said Meneses, as lobster boats chugged by in the Damariscotta River on a humid June afternoon and as tourists strolled past gift stores, ice cream parlors, restaurants and places to buy lobster rolls. “We need more children here.” CANDIDATES WEIGH IN Dr. Timothy Goltz, a MaineHealth primary care doctor whose practice is located near Lincoln Hospital, said he realizes the recruiting environment is tough, but he opposes closing the birthing center. He said his daughter was born there 22 years ago with the umbilical cord wrapped twice around her neck and his wife needed an emergency cesarean section. If they had to travel to Brunswick or farther, he said, “it could have been a big problem.” Advertisement Goltz said once a hospital starts closing services, it can have a “domino effect.” He said “it would become increasingly less likely you could attract surgeons to work and practice here.” [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3859.jpg) Dr. Timothy Goltz, a MaineHealth primary care doctor whose practice is located near Lincoln Hospital, on June 24 in Damariscotta. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F07%5C%2F43666214_20260624_Damariscotta__3859.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Dr.%20Timothy%20Goltz%2C%20a%20MaineHealth%20primary%20care%20doctor%20whose%20practice%20is%20located%20near%20Lincoln%20Hospital%2C%20on%20June%2024%20in%20Damariscotta.%20%28Joe%20Phelan%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) He and Fossel are urging the hospital to delay its decision until at least the next governor takes office, replacing Gov. Janet Mills, to see if the new governor will launch initiatives to help preserve birthing centers. All three [gubernatorial candidates](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/07/01/heres-where-maines-candidates-for-governor-stand-on-key-issues/) told the Portland Press Herald they are opposed to Lincoln Hospital closing its labor and delivery services. Hannah Pingree, the Democratic nominee, said in an interview that if she’s elected, she would convene a group of leaders and community members to discuss ways to prevent birthing centers across the state from closing, saying their loss “means entire regions of the state become less attractive to young families.” She said “it’s not acceptable” for Lincoln Hospital to close the unit without stronger efforts to save it. “We have to reverse this trend, starting by not losing another one in Lincoln County,” Pingree said. Republican nominee Bobby Charles said in a statement: “I vigorously oppose shutting any more birthing centers and any more hospitals in Maine and will work tirelessly to reopen all those closed” over the past several years. Independent candidate Rick Bennett said in a statement that “we want young families to stay, we want communities to grow, and we cannot keep allowing essential health care services to disappear.” Reynolds, one of the coalition’s leaders, said the problems are “not insurmountable.” “Workforce problems can be fixed. Don’t just close labor and delivery,” Reynolds said. “Don’t give up.” Copy the Story Link Tagged: [births](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/births/), [damariscotta maine](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/damariscotta-maine/), [hospitals](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/hospitals/), [MaineHealth](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/mainehealth/), [maternity ward](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maternity-ward/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/joe-lawlor) [Joe LawlorStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/joe-lawlor) Joe Lawlor writes about health and human services for the Press Herald. A 24-year newspaper veteran, Lawlor has worked in Ohio, Michigan and Virginia before relocating to Maine in 2013 to join the Press. [More by Joe Lawlor](https://www.pressherald.com/author/joe-lawlor)