Olney Maternity Care Takes Another Hit
Women in Olney will soon have to travel even farther to deliver their babies after Dr. Chantel Taylor, one of the area’s few obstetric providers, announced she can no longer deliver at the Seymour Hospital due to high patient volume.
Dr. Taylor, who provides obstetric care for many women in Olney, told the Olney Hamilton Hospital (OHH) Board of Directors at its August meeting that she received a 30-day notice from Seymour, ending her ability to deliver babies there. Dr. Taylor said, the decision was made because she was delivering too many babies for the Seymour staff to keep up with demand.
That demand stands in sharp contrast to the explanation OHH administrators gave when they cut maternity services in June. Hospital administrator Michael Huff told the board earlier this summer that the hospital could not justify the cost of a full-time anesthesiologist— required by state law for obstetrics— or the construction of a second operating room in the new facility, citing low birth volumes.
“I’ve been delivering babies left and right since June 1,” Dr. Taylor told the board. “But now I’ve been told I have to stop in Seymour because the volume is too high and overwhelming for their staff.”
The loss leaves Olney mothers with few nearby options. Dr. Taylor said she is arranging to deliver babies at Faith Community Hospital in Jacksboro, about 45 minutes away, while continuing to serve patients in Olney during the week.
For many families, that will mean longer travel times during labor and delivery—an added risk in emergencies. “The community really does need this service,” Dr. Taylor said. “Here I am taking people an hour and 20 minutes away from their hometowns.”
Community members have already expressed disappointment over the loss of maternity care at OHH, a service many considered vital for a rural hospital. The decision also created skepticism after board leaders promised the public that construction of the new $33 million hospital—scheduled for completion in September 2026—would not require cutting services or raising taxes. Both cuts and a tax hike followed.