Heritage: The Story of St. Mary's Hospital, 1880-1980
By Leo G. Bryne and Sister Alberta Cammack, C.S.J

Chapter II Modern Medical Complex
Obstetrics Closes

New services had developed during Sister Marie's term in office, but along with these new services had come the closing of one of its older units, the Obstetrics Ward. The hospital had seen the decline of obstetric patients since the sixties as doctors who delivered babies had moved to the east side and county patients were sent to Tucson Medical Center.

With the exodus of doctors and patients the hospital had to operate its Obstetrics Ward on a stand-by basis with an annual average of seventy-two babies during the last four years of its operation. This number was far below the Federal guidelines calling for a minimum of 1500 deliveries a year. On October 11, 1978, St. Mary's sadly closed the ward where so many of Tucson's citizens had come into the world.

Continue with Chapter II Modern Medical Complex Administration