Two western Georgia hospitals have announced plans to merge childbirth services.

Doctors Hospital is combining labor and delivery services with The Medical Center in Columbus, and will no longer deliver babies at its facility after Oct. 6.

Officials say The Medical Center performed nearly 3,300 deliveries during the last fiscal year, and Doctors Hospital performed just over 1,000.

President and CEO of Doctors Hospital Tamara Jackson says officials made the decision after an in-depth review and analysis of past and anticipated delivery volumes at the facility.

Jackson says officials expect the delivery volume at Doctors Hospital to decline.

Tags: health, Columbus, obstetrics, gpbwell, doctors hospital, the medical center, labor and delivery, childbirth