Lincoln has the lowest birth volume in the MaineHealth system and the second lowest in Maine, reaching a low of 95 in 2019. Recent years showed a partial rebound.
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MaineHealth is considering closing labor and delivery services at the organization’s Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta.
“At MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital, the review of labor and delivery services remains in our established governance process,” according to a statement emailed to Mainebiz. “No final decision has been made.”
The MaineHealth board of trustees is expected to vote on the proposal at its Aug. 6 meeting.
The discussion comes after several months of gathering community feedback, along with an evaluation by clinical and operational leaders of workforce realities, patient safety, access and the long-term sustainability of the service.
“MaineHealth understands the deep concern about access to maternity care in rural communities,” the statement said. “These challenges are real and extend well beyond Lincoln County.”
The discussion is the latest development following a string of maternal health and obstetrics service closures in recent years.
Low birth volume
“Looking ahead, meeting those challenges will require continued focus, collaboration and consideration of new ways of delivering care,” Cindy Wade, president of MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital, wrote in an open letter sent to patients last week.
“Health care is changing rapidly,” she continued. “Across Maine, communities are facing workforce shortages, financial pressures, changing demographics and growing demand for care. Meeting those challenges will require health care organizations, clinicians, elected leaders and community members working together to strengthen and sustain health care close to home.”
Lincoln has the lowest birth volume in the MaineHealth system and the second-lowest in Maine. The decline began after 2010, reaching a low of 95 births in 2019. Recent years, from 2023 through 2025, showed a partial rebound to about 130 deliveries.
Annual birth volumes below 200 are widely classified as “very low” in national obstetric quality research, the hospital said.
In fiscal year 2025, only 32% of families living in the Lincoln service area gave birth at MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital. The remaining deliveries occurred at other MaineHealth hospitals and at hospitals outside the system.
Birth volumes are low at Lincoln in part because of its proximity to other delivery hospitals, giving patients more choice.
Additionally, low birth volumes have made it more difficult to recruit OB-GYN specialists, the hospital said.
If changes to the service are made, Lincoln has plans in place to support affected employees in finding new opportunities: “We have many openings available, and we are confident that we can retain anyone who may be impacted if change occurs,” the hospital said.
