This document contains a petition, detailed letter, community testimonials, and references all insisting that LAMC remain open to deliveries. The Los Alamos community and surrounding areas appreciate your time.

Petition:
We, the Los Alamos community and surrounding areas, want to keep labor and delivery (L&D) open at the Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC). For our community members it is not safer or better for pregnant or laboring women to be forced to travel outside of Los Alamos through cellphone dead zones. In a testimonial from Hannah Bachman, “Me and my daughter literally would have died within 20 minutes without them being there.”
In the formal announcement [1] and [2] no direct reason for this change is stated, although we understand this change likely stems from a low number of deliveries and difficulties with staffing. Instead of closing LAMC L&D, we ask that LAMC work with the community to increase the number of deliveries. There appears to be a misconception that Los Alamos Country has decreasing yearly birth rates, however, NM vital records data shows that the women living in Los Alamos County have had a consistent number of births for at least 15 years (2010-2024) averaging 166 per year [8]. LAMC L&D has not accepted women who do want to birth at the hospital (see testimonials). Increasing the births happening at LAMC can be achieved in many ways.
To increase the number of births in Los Alamos, the community insists that L&D stay open with consistent care year-to-year so the community knows what to expect, full time providers (OB/Gyns, midwives, L&D nurses, anesthesiologists, etc.), and keeping the LAMC doors open to delivery without risk of closure.
We are concerned the hospital is placing profits ahead of providing needed medical care for women and babies in our community. This petition and following letter/testimonials demonstrate our communities support of our women (and babies) by insisting LifePoint Health keep LAMC L&D Open.

Letter:
Dear
Interim Chief Executive Officer Bob Singletary,
Chief Nursing Officer Debra Temple,
Interim Chief Financial Officer Leonard Binkley,
Chief of Staff Dr. Justin Green,
Patient Advocate Jennifer King,
Representative Christine Chandler,
and all others whom this letter finds,

We, the Los Alamos community and surrounding areas, want to keep labor and delivery (L&D) open at the Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC). The recent announcement to affiliate with Presbyterian Española and Christus Saint Vicent’s in Santa Fe and stop deliveries at LAMC is devastating news. For our community members it is not safer or better for pregnant or laboring women to be forced to travel outside of Los Alamos through cellphone dead zones.
In the formal announcement [1] and [2] no direct reason for this change is stated, although we understand this change likely stems from a low number of deliveries and difficulties with staffing. Low delivery rates, however, are not due to the community’s lack of interest or desire to birth in Los Alamos at LAMC. As hospital executives and others reading this letter, you may not be aware that women are denied the option to deliver at LAMC by not being accepted by the OB/Gyn staff, even if the same care was provided previously. A woman’s opportunity / acceptance to deliver at LAMC is dependent on which doctor they happen to be given an appointment with further adding to the difficulties to deliver at LAMC. By turning away patients who actively want to deliver at LAMC, this is adding to the hospital’s low birth rate.
Our community recognizes this is not the first time LAMC has closed its doors to labor and delivery, each time results in the doors reopening. Through accessing public editorials [3] it appears the hospital closed its door to labor and delivery during Covid, ignoring the calls of the community to remain open. We all understand Covid had additional challenges, but in recent years having labor and delivery (L&D) reopened has had significant positive impact on our community. Some in the community, although happy there is the option to deliver at LAMC, have remained concerned the services could shut down at any moment; with this latest announcement to shut down again, it has reaffirmed that fear.
Given two articles published by LAMC in recent years, 2024 [4] and 2026 [5], about extraordinary measures taken it appears as if LAMC wants to provide labor and delivery services, but that something is missing. With the LifePoint Health mission stating “Making communities healthier” [3] it is hard to see how this change is meeting that mission especially when it is creating fear amongst the community that all women’s medical services may be going away.
We of course are happy with the good outcomes of the extraordinary cases; however, our more ordinary circumstances need support as well. There appears to be a misconception that Los Alamos Country has decreasing yearly birth rates, however, NM vital records data shows that the women living in Los Alamos County have had a consistent number of births for at least 15 years (2010-2024) averaging 166 per year [8]. We see in the following graph created using the data that the lowest and highest numbers of births were 152 and 181 respectively with the majority of years being close to the average.

Instead of closing LAMC to deliveries, we ask that LAMC work with the community to increase the number of deliveries by:
1) Keeping care consistent year-to-year so the community knows what to expect.
a. This can be done in many ways, some of which include:
i. Having full time providers (OB/Gyns, midwives, L&D nurses, anesthesiologists, etc.)
ii. Keeping the LAMC delivery doors open without risk of closure
iii. Outlining what services for women’s health are provide generally, prenatally, and postnatally.
iv. Addressing the discrepancy in care between providers.
2) Accepting expectant mothers who want to give birth at the hospital into the practice.
3) Empowering providers so they are comfortable working in a lower resource setting.
4) Paying the providers such that they want to become full time providers.
The current plan to close L&D conflicts with recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). An ACOG article on Maternal care first written in 2015 but reaffirmed in 2025 [7] summarizes that although partnerships and hospitals prepared for high-risk cases are beneficial to communities, it remains vital that hospitals with low birth rates remain open for deliveries. This article highlights that what LAMC is trying to do by partnering with other hospitals can be a good thing to do, but where LAMC is going wrong is by closing their L&D department. The miraculous stories published by LAMC published, 2024 [4] and 2026 [5], where emergency cases are addressed shows that LAMC is able to handle certain high-risk cases.
• “State and regional authorities should work together with the multiple institutions within a region, and with the input from their obstetric care providers, to determine the appropriate coordinated system of care and to implement policies that promote and support a regionalized system of care. These relationships enhance the ability of women to give birth safely in their communities while providing support for circumstances when higher level resources are needed.” [7]
• “Closing hospitals with low-volume obstetric services could have counterproductive adverse health consequences and potentially increase health care disparities by limiting access to maternity care.” [7]
• “This information should not be interpreted to imply that hospitals with low delivery volumes are not safe for care of women with low-risk pregnancies, or as a call to close hospitals with a lower volume or acuity.” [7]
Living more rurally, we already have limited access to medical care but one of the key providers here is LAMC. If delivery closes our community is losing a vital service which is likely to have negative consequences for women. As hospital executives and others reading this letter, you may not be aware that:
1) The community will work with LifePoint Health/LAMC to meet needs and goals to stay open. It is difficult for labor and delivery to thrive when there is unclear guidance about services provided (and it changes based on the provider seen).
2) Women rely on the general and specialized gynecological services provided by LAMC and we want the entire Women’s Health department to remain open.
3) Women want to be familiar with the providers and location they will give birth at.
4) Our community has had the rumor going around for years that labor delivery at LAMC has been closed due to the number of folks being denied delivering at LAMC.
5) Los Alamos community members who were not accepted for care at LAMC are experiencing issues seeing providers at Presbyterian Española, in some cases going 2 months between visits, as the Presbyterian Española providers are already extremely booked.
6) In some cases prenatal appointments can take 3 hours or more between driving down the hill, waiting past your appointment time, and meeting with the provider.
7) Women who home birth still rely on the services, and security, provided by LAMC whether that be a hospital transfer after giving birth or intrapartum and postpartum emergencies.
8) Women plan for the case of “what if I give birth in my car while driving down the hill?” Which should be an unnecessary question when there is a hospital in town.
If LAMC proceeds forward, against the communities’ wishes, to close to delivery there are many questions that remain open that must be answered for the safety of our community.
• Is the LAMC emergency room (ER) staff prepared and willing to take on gynecologic, obstetric, and neonatal emergencies?
• Will any OB/Gyn staff be on hand to support women’s health emergencies presenting to the ER, such a ruptured fallopian tube?
o If so, will the OB/Gyn providers here go to Presbyterian Española and Christus Saint Vicent’s in Santa Fe as visiting doctors so they are able to aptly be prepared to help in emergency situations, such as emergency cesarean sections?
• The community finds the birth classes taught at LAMC to be a vital part of their birthing experience, does LifePoint/LAMC have a plan on how to continue providing that educational service so women can remain prepared on what to do for labor and delivery?
o For example, having information on what to do in the case of a car delivery without cell service is now going to more necessary for women to learn.
Again, we as the Los Alamos community and surrounding areas urge LAMC not to close L&D but to work with providers and the community to continue providing this vital service to women’s health and keep the department open.

Thank you,
The Los Alamos community and surrounding areas

 
Testimonials
Many of our community members wanted to share their experiences, desires, and reactions to the recent announcement that LAMC plans to close for deliveries. Some have asked to remain anonymous and have been marked with “Anonymous Author”.

“Being just 10 minutes from home made a huge difference for our family, especially with other children. Our experience was wonderful—we received attentive, personalized care that made the entire process feel calm and supported.
We hope to grow our family again, and having to travel off the hill will add stress and challenges for many local families. It’s truly unfortunate to lose such an essential service in our community.”
- Anonymous Author

“Alright so I had my first son in 2022 at LAMC and it was a great experience. I loved the care I got and I had some really cool travel nurses. I am currently 5 months pregnant and just got the call last week saying they are no longer delivering babies at LAMC. Not only is this just messed up to go this far into seeing the same doctor that delivered my son to learn that she won’t even be the one to deliver my second but now I have to drive to either Espanola or Santa Fe? It was a real shock and honestly extremely stressful. Now I am spending so much time trying to figure out what doctors will take my insurance and which ones even have openings available. One of the doctors in Espanola is supposedly booked 6 months out? That’s not going to work for me so now I have to explore other options and it is just really stressful. Which I shouldn’t be stressing about anything like this nor should any other mother who’s expecting that has been going to LAMC.”
- Savannah Fellers

“Dr. Andino, who helped deliver my baby, was truly wonderful. His calm, professional demeanor put me at ease, and his expertise and gentle guidance made me feel supported every step of the way.

I also had the pleasure of being cared for by Dr. Ransom and Dr. Marancenbaum prior to my labor. Both doctors were incredibly attentive, providing reassurance and answering all my questions, no matter how small. They worked seamlessly together, and I could tell they truly cared about me and my baby's well-being.

The nursing staff at Los Alamos was absolutely phenomenal. From the moment I was admitted to the hospital, they were attentive, compassionate, and truly went above and beyond to ensure I was comfortable. Whether it was offering a warm blanket, checking in on me regularly, or simply providing encouraging words, they made me feel seen and heard throughout the entire process. Their support was invaluable, and I felt so grateful for their care.

Looking back on my experience, it’s clear that this team of doctors and nurses made all the difference and I feel fortunate to have received the care that I did. I can’t recommend LAMC enough to families in Los Alamos.”
- Katherine Saliba Ring

“I had a wonderful birth experience in 2024 5 months after we moved here. The nurses took such good care of me and I trusted them completely. Nurse Jeannie was an absolute angel for my labor and delivery and I'll never forget her.
Once birth gets moving for me, it goes fast, and I was terrified to give birth somewhere on the side of the road with no service on the way to a farther away hospital. I'm so happy I didn't have to, and my prayers are with every mom who has to go down the hill in the future in full blown labor who could have gone to LAMC.
Luckily my mom was able to fly here to be with my son for the birth of my daughter, but as a further bonus, the closer location of LAMC made it a lot easier for my husband to go back and forth and help my mom with the dog and my son.”
- Lisa Gagnon

“I've given birth there twice and my second would have been a car birth if I had to go off the hill.”
- Anonymous Author

“I birthed my daughter there in 2024. It was the best experience I had giving birth and I had 2 other babies one at Presbyterian in Alb and the other at Lovelace in Alb. My experience at LAMC beat both the other hospital stays. I went in for a scheduled induction when I had my baby. The reason I had an induction is because I was high risk because of my age and at the time they were only allowing one person in the labor and delivery unit at a time. All other dates for inductions where at 2 weeks out which was way after my due date. I went in and everything went well. I loved the nurses that were helping me. I was in labor for around 13 hours total. They watched me closely since I was the only one there. Once my baby was delivered she ended up having an issue with her breathing and had to be put oxygen because of the altitude. We had just had a snow storm and they were recommending us be sent to Albuquerque because they did not have the staff to help my daughter. They ended up pulling together and having a nurse come in to monitor my baby so we did not have to travel to Albuquerque. It was so nice of them to do that.”
- Elena Wright

“Me and my daughter literally would have died within 20 minutes without them being there. Them closing is terrifying to me. Regional medical centers are so important. However I also understand from the perspective of understaffing/being under resources and unable to offer gold standard care for those reasons. However - some care is better than no care in my book. They literally were the sole reason I am here today still able to be a mother (and saved my baby too).”
- Hannah Bachman

“When I was pregnant with my first child I saw LAMC and had insane pregnancy sickness my first and second trimesters. When in my early third trimester, after 5 days of what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions, my husband urged me to go to LAMC L&D / triage to be looked at. It turns out I was in preterm labor and needed emergent care to try to stop labor and to get me to UNMH, where they have a level 4 NICU. The LAMC staff were incredible, they provided me the necessary medication, prepped me for transport, and quickly scheduled getting me where I needed to be. At no point did the staff add unnecessary stress, they just followed policy and procedures to provide the best possible care.

When I got pregnant with my second child, I called up Women’s Health to be seen, but would not be able to be seen until close to my second trimester as the department was fully booked on appointments, even mentioning that after I was established I may be double booked at appointments. It was also suggested they may not accept me into their practice anyway due to my previous pre-term labor. Thankfully, I was able to get early pregnancy appointments at Presbyterian Española so my pregnancy sickness could be addressed, but I still ended up hospitalized at LAMC for a night when I became too sick and dehydrated.

Later in pregnancy, I again tried to get in at Women’s Health for pregnancy care and delivery. I asked, again, over the phone if my previous preterm labor would disqualify me from being able to deliver at LAMC. I was told I must meet with a provider to find out. The provider did not care about my specific medical history / how my current pregnancy was going, they heard I had a previous pre-term birth and said I would not be accepted as a patient, which was disappointing. The disappointment continued when I was told if my appointment with another doctor in the practice I likely would have been accepted to deliver at LAMC.

The reason I wasn’t accepted into their care was (paraphrased) “What if you go into pre-term labor and I need to make calls to find a hospital for you to go to, it could take hours. I recommend people just drive themselves to Albuquerque in those cases. It’s better you get care at Presbyterian Española.” In the case of pre-term labor at Presbyterian Española I would still need to be sent to UNMH where they have a NICU, so driving to Española to then be sent to Albuquerque is not actually providing better care. The likelihood is I will have a full-term baby this pregnancy, but specifics about my pregnancy were not considered and the doctor was reluctant to provide the pre-term labor care that had been provided previously by LAMC.

I like many women would like to deliver up here in Los Alamos, but some providers turn us away and we are left hoping we’d have had our appointment a different week with someone else. Instead of closing L&D in Los Alamos, I wish the providers were on the same page of who to accept and to provide the same care as in the past.”
- Nicole O’Daniel

“I was unable to birth at LAMC since they are unsupportive of VBACs. When other hospital options are at least a 30 minute commute (with spotty cell service in between) it’s forcing increased risks for the child and mother, especially in a case of unexpected quickly progressing labor.”
- Taylor Carretti

“While I did not deliver here the ob Dr Moore and staff, one night helped save my life when I went in for a hemorrhage during a miscarriage. With out them available at los alamos hospital I don't think I would of made it off the hill to another hospital.”
- Tomasita Jewell McDonald

“As a mom of four, I’ve seen the best and worst of local L&D wards. My first two kids were born at Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC), and the experience was night and day compared to my later births. The staff was patient and kind, and I actually felt like a person rather than just another patient.
I was hit by the news that LAMC is stopping deliveries again. That was the case when I had my last two, and the difference in care was obvious:
• My 3rd (Pres, Santa Fe): It was a decent experience overall, but I nearly died from an epidural reaction while dealing with an anesthesiologist who clearly didn’t want to be bothered on a Sunday.
• My 4th (Pres, Española): Dr. Trujillo was great, but the nursing staff treated me terribly and they were so busy I was put in a small back patient room to deliver my child.
The standout for me was how LAMC handled my third child’s jaundice. Even though he wasn't born there, he was admitted to their L&D floor shortly after birth for treatment. They made sure I could stay in the room with him, which gave us some much-needed bonding time. Despite the circumstances, I felt completely comfortable because I knew he was in great care.
LAMC provided a level of personal, compassionate care during my most vulnerable moments that I just haven't found anywhere else. It’s a huge loss for the community that they're stopping deliveries again.”
- Melissa Aragon

“Why I never attempted to see an OB at LAMC. In the 7 years I've lived here this must be the 10th time this has happened. I don't think I'm exaggerating either.”
- Logan Ann Luffel

“Espanola Presbyterian L&D is great, but as a PSA, they have also had some staffing challenges recently with Dr. Wu leaving and Dr. Trujillo going to part-time (and being on leave for an injury). I delivered there with a locum (visiting OB) in March, who was great and vetted by Dr. Barrera (who coordinated my handoff) and everything went well, but it was a late surprise that added some stress and anxiety to my delivery. Retaining OBGYN providers in northern NM seems like a real challenge right now, unfortunately.”
- Stephanie Plant

“It would be one thing if another L&D was 15mins away but SF and Espanola are both too far for fast babies!”
- Karen Anslinger Holmes

“That’s upsetting I was planning on my next baby being born here and now we have to drive down the mountain to hopefully make it to Española or Santa Fe?!?”
- Victoria Jade

“I gave birth there in 2023 and 2025. I received prenatal care at LAMC for both of my pregnancies with the expectation that I would also deliver at LAMC. If there was no option to deliver up here, I definitely would have sought out prenatal care elsewhere. Closing L&D will likely cause the clinic to suffer as well. I felt fortunate to be able to deliver at LAMC. With my first, my pregnancy was overall uncomplicated and I had a smooth labor and delivery. In labor it is important that we feel comfortable and I felt comfortable being nearby to home. Laboring while in the car is miserable and I'm glad that I had as short of a car ride as possible while laboring. With my second, I also had an uncomplicated pregnancy. But I had a precipitous labor and a quick delivery. If I had to travel further, I would very likely have had my baby in the car. I also just loved the small town feel of our little hospital and l&d ward. It felt calming. Though I have had good experiences this far, pregnancy and childbirth is often one of the riskiest things that a woman goes through. Having access to care close to home is so valuable.”
- Ally Ruch

“I wished to deliver at LAMC last December, but in November, my obgyn told me to choose Espanola or Santa Fe since they didn’t have enough nurse or anesthesiologist if I need to get an emergency c-section. I was pretty bummed because I had to commute! Fortunately I had to get induced so we got scheduled. I can’t imagine if I had to feel the contraction in the car for 30-45 minutes!!! Also since my parents came from different country and not driving, we had to book a hotel for them in Santa Fe (I was at Presbyterian SFe). It’s so unfortunate if we can’t have options to have baby in Los Alamos.”
- Jelika Toisuta Bennett

“Is this for real!?! I absolutely loved birthing my babies at LAMC.”
- Annette Preston

“Well, I guess when I get ready to have my fourth kid, I'm gonna be delivering in my car on the way to Santa Fe. That'll probably be the first time I will be delivering a baby in a car. I'm not pregnant yet, but I am planning on having a fourth kid. Good to know that Los Alamos Medical Center, no longer does baby deliveries.”
- Anonymous Author

“I agree that losing the option of a hospital delivery in Los Alamos is a huge blow to our community. However, I don’t expect the hospital to change its decision even with community input and testimonials. I was a NICU nurse in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex for many years, where there are dozens of hospitals, and sometimes there were hospital decisions like this to shut down their labor & delivery service wings. It always comes down to money—these for-profit hospitals are as driven by quarterly earnings and shareholders as any other American business. If a labor and delivery unit doesn’t have a high or at least consistent census, then the profits don’t justify the cost of maintaining the unit. It sucks and I hate it, but those numbers rule the hospital decision-making process, not our (very legitimate) need for community access to safe medically-attended delivery services. I’m afraid LAMC’s L&D closure will result in numerous bad outcomes as pregnant people either turn to home deliveries or are forced to go farther for hospital delivery services.”
- Megan Glenn Wentzel

 
References:
[1] Los Alamos Reporter, “Los Alamos Medical Center to Collaborate with CHRISTUS and Presbyterian on Regional Model for Obstetric Services,” Apr. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://losalamosreporter.com/2026/04/25/los-alamos-medical-center-to-collaborate-with-christus-and-presbyterian-on-regional-model-for-obstetric-services/. [Accessed: May 3, 2026]
[2] Los Alamos Medical Center, “Los Alamos Medical Center Announces New Obstetrics Model in Partnership with CHRISTUS Health and Presbyterian Health,” Apr. 24, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.losalamosmedicalcenter.com/news/2026/04/24/new-obstetrics-model. [Accessed: May 3, 2026]
[3] Los Alamos Reporter, “OBGYN Services at Los Alamos Medical Center,” May 19, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://losalamosreporter.com/2020/05/19/obgyn-services-at-los-alamos-medical-center/. [Accessed: May 3, 2026]
[4] Los Alamos Medical Center, “Family Shares ‘Beautiful Experience’ of Delivering Baby Girl at LAMC,” Sep. 18, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.losalamosmedicalcenter.com/news/2024/09/18/lamc_birthing_stories_beautiful_experience. [Accessed: May 3, 2026]
[5] Los Alamos Medical Center, “A Family’s Fate Forever Altered: LAMC Saves Two Lives,” Feb. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.losalamosmedicalcenter.com/news/2026/02/25/fate-forever-altered. [Accessed: May 3, 2026]
[6] Lifepoint Health, “Community Impact Report 2024,” 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.lifepointhealth.net/assets/uploads/CBR25/Lifepoint-Health-CBR-2024-FINAL.pdf. [Accessed: May 3, 2026]
[7] American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Levels of Maternal Care,” Obstetric Care Consensus, Aug. 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/obstetric-care-consensus/articles/2019/08/levels-of-maternal-care. [Accessed: May 3, 2026]
[8] New Mexico Department of Health, “NM IBIS: Birth Counts by County,” n.d. [Online]. Available: https://ibis.doh.nm.gov/query/result/birth/BirthCntyBirth/Count.html. [Accessed: May 1, 2026]