FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 October 9, 2025

CONTACT: press@keishaforgovernor.com

Bottoms Statement on Closure of Maternity Services in Lavonia, Due to Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

ATLANTA— Late last week, St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital announced that it will close its labor and delivery unit in Lavonia, citing financial strain tied in part to federal Medicaid cuts. The closure will force expectant mothers in surrounding communities to travel nearly an hour to Athens for maternity care.

Health experts warn that this closure is not an isolated case. Provisions in the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” law that cut Medicaid are projected to accelerate rural hospital closures across Georgia, where more than half of counties already lack obstetric services.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, candidate for governor and former Mayor of Atlanta issued the following statement in response:

“Closing maternity services in Lavonia is not just a line item on a balance sheet — it’s a life-and-death decision for moms and babies. When labor starts, an extra 60 minutes on the road can mean the difference between a healthy delivery and a tragedy. Rural families deserve the same access to safe, high-quality care as families in our largest cities.

“This is the predictable result of congressional cuts to Medicaid that every single Georgia Republican supported. When Washington slashes Medicaid, it guts the primary payer for maternal care in rural communities, pushes hospitals into the red, and forces closures like this one. Georgia families are now paying the price for political decisions that put ideology over health.

“We should be expanding Medicaid and strengthening rural health care — not tearing it down. I stand with the families in Northeast Georgia. As Governor, I’ll work to expand Medicaid, restore funding, protect labor and delivery services, and make sure Georgia women get the health care they deserve in their communities.”

###