'LL BE SENTENCED IN OCTOBER. THE MERCYONE NEWTON MEDICAL CENTER IS ENDING ALL LABOR AND DELIVERY SERVICES STARTING OCTOBER 15TH. THEY ANNOUNCED THE DECISION THIS MORNING, CITING STAFFING SHORTAGES. KCCI AMANDA ROOKER IS IN NEWTON WITH WHAT THE DECISION MEANS FOR PREGNANT PATIENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. STARTING ON OCTOBER 15TH, THIS HOSPITAL WILL NOT BE PROVIDING LABOR AND DELIVERY SERVICES AND THAT MEANS PREGNANT PATIENTS WILL HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TO HAVE THEIR BABIES. THE NEWTON CLINIC PROVIDES PHYSICIANS AT THE CENTER. THEY SAY OVER THE LAST DECADE, IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE TO FIND AND HIRE DOCTORS THAT CAN DELIVER BABIES AND PROVIDE C-SECTIONS. RIGHT NOW, THEY ONLY HAVE TWO, AND ONE OF THOSE DOCTORS HAS DECIDED TO LEAVE IN OCTOBER. MERCYONE SAYS THEY'RE LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THEY CAN PROVIDE LABOR AND DELIVERY SERVICES IN THE FUTURE. BUT UNTIL THEN, PREGNANT PATIENTS IN NEWTON WILL LIKELY HAVE TO DRIVE 20 TO 24 MILES TO GRINNELL FOR CARE, OR FARTHER TO PELLA OR DES MOINES. CHAD KELLY, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT MERCYONE NEWTON MEDICAL CENTER, SAYS THEY'LL SPEND THE NEXT SIX WEEKS FIGURING OUT WHAT COMES NEXT. WE WANT TO GET TOGETHER WITH OUR EMERGENCY STAFF AND OUR PHYSICIANS, THE LOCAL COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICES, THE EMS CREWS AND REALLY FOCUS ON THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE. AND WHILE WE TAKE THE TIME TO DISCERN WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE FOR THE UNIT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE DEPARTMENT, OUR FOCUS IS ON PATIENT SAFETY. ANYONE SCHEDULED TO DELIVER THEIR BABY BEFORE OCTOBER 15TH CAN CONTINUE RECEIVING CARE AT MERCYONE NEWTON MEDICAL CENTER IN NEWTON, AMANDA ROOKER. KCCI EIGHT NEWS. IOWA'S NEWS LEADER. AND THIS COMES AFTER MERCYONE STOPPED OFFERING ITS GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY SURGICAL SERVICES IN JUNE. THAT MADE THE IOWA CLINIC THE ONLY MEDICAL FACILITY IN CENTRAL IOWA THAT CAN PROVIDE THATT SPECIALIZED CARE. THE NEXT CLOSEST LOCATION