St. Charles Medical Center–Madras will receive a share of a new $37 million state fund designed to keep rural Oregon’s labor and delivery units open, as the state confronts a growing crisis in rural maternity care access.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced the funding after convening a Medicaid advisory group on the Oregon Health Plan that identified rural maternity care as a critical pressure point. A total of 21 rural Oregon hospitals are eligible to receive grants, with smaller facilities (under 50 beds) eligible for up to $963,000 and larger hospitals eligible for up to $1.4 million.
Madras Loses $1 Million a Year on Maternity Care
St. Charles Madras is one of the smaller hospitals in the St. Charles Health System, serving a largely rural and heavily Medicaid-dependent patient population. According to Kimberli Munn, chief nursing officer for St. Charles Madras, the hospital loses approximately $1 million per year on its labor and delivery service.
Despite those losses, St. Charles has continued to operate its maternity unit, recognizing that for many Jefferson County families, the hospital is the only nearby option for giving birth with hospital-level care. Losing that service would force expectant mothers to travel significantly longer distances — a journey that carries real risk in obstetric emergencies.
A Statewide Crisis with Local Stakes
The 21 hospitals receiving funding serve communities across rural Oregon, from the coast to the high desert. Jefferson County’s position as a medically underserved rural county — with a large Warm Springs tribal population and significant agricultural workforce — makes continued access to local maternity care especially important.
Advocates for rural health care note that hospital labor and delivery closures often come with little warning and can be permanent, leaving communities without a service they’ve relied on for generations.
Other Hospitals in the Program
Other Central and Eastern Oregon hospitals receiving funding include St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton and several coastal and Willamette Valley facilities. The full list includes Harney District Hospital, Lake District Hospital, Grande Ronde Hospital, Good Shepherd Medical Center, Blue Mountain Hospital, and others spread across the state’s rural communities.
Jefferson County residents interested in learning more about St. Charles Madras’s maternity services can contact the hospital directly at its Madras campus on U.S. Highway 26.