WBRZ - Baton Rouge

The state of Louisiana is closing its maternity unit at LSU Interim Public Hospital and moving those
services to the private Touro Infirmary.

State authorities have not decided whether University Medical Center, the $1.2 billion successor to
Charity Hospital that is slated to open as early as 2014, will include maternity and neonatal wards.

LSU and Touro officials say as of Aug. 1 the state hospital will no longer offer inpatient delivery and will close the associated nursery and neonatal intensive care unit.

The total obstetrics-gynecology unit operates at an $11 million annual deficit.