Corona Regional Medical Center closing labor and delivery ward in 2026

Another Inland Empire hospital is set to close their labor and delivery ward in the coming months, marking at least the second such instance in the last two years. 

The Southwest Healthcare Corona Regional Medical Center announced on Thursday that they will be discontinuing their maternity services, which oversees labor and delivery, on January 30, 2026. They plan to take their last patients for delivery on Jan. 23. 

"The decision was based on the declining birth rate in the county over the past few years, a trend which is expected to continue," said a statement from a spokesperson for Southwest Healthcare. 

Hospital officials say that the extra space will be used to help decrease wait times in the emergency room and allow for a better patient experience. They also hope that the number of medical-surgical beds will be increased to "meet current healthcare demands."

"We have communicated with physicians who will guide expectant patients to adjust their plans to reflect delivery at another local hospital that does provide Maternity services," the statement said. 

They encouraged hospital employees that work in the maternity services department to apply for a different position within the hospital or at their sister facility, the Southwest Healthcare Rancho Springs Hospital in Murrieta. 

" We regret any inconvenience or disappointment this announcement may cause to patients, their families and our community at large," the statement said. "We look forward to continuing to meet the ever-evolving healthcare needs of the residents of the region."

In a notice sent to patients, hospital officials provided a list of nearby facilities that labor and delivery services are still provided. The list included their Murrieta facility and:

• Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center at 3865 Jackson Street in Riverside
• Riverside Community Hospital at 4445 Magnolia Avenue in Riverside
• Pomona Valley Medical Center at 1798 N. Garey in Pomona

This is the second hospital to shutdown its labor and delivery ward now in recent years, after the Hemet Global Medical Center also closed their department in 2024. Hospital officials similarly cited a decrease in birth numbers, as well as a shortage in physicians.