SHELBY, Ohio (WJW) — The maternity ward at OhioHealth Shelby Hospital, 199 W. Main St., is closing at the end of February, the hospital system announced.

The unit will close on Feb. 28, according to a Thursday statement from OhioHealth spokesperson Christina Thompson.

“Changes such as this are never an easy decision to make,” Thompson wrote. “As we look at the continued trends in labor and delivery, we want to make sure the highest quality resources and support are available for our obstetric and newborn patients.”

The not-for-profit health system’s next closest maternity ward is 13 miles away, at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, 335 Glessner Ave., according to a news release. It offers comprehensive maternity services to six counties, including pediatric hospitalists from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, high-risk neonatal care and outpatient lactation services.

“Many women from the Shelby area already select Mansfield Hospital for obstetric and newborn care,” Thompson wrote.

The Mansfield hospital will start offering 24/7 on-site OB/GYN coverage in March, in addition to 24/7 on-site support for newborn deliveries provided by Nationwide Children’s, according to Thompson.

The Shelby hospital will still offer gynecologic procedures like hysterectomies or endometrial ablation. The OhioHealth Physician Group Obstetrics & Gynecology practice next to the hospital will also continue to provide pre-natal and post-natal care.