PARIS, Tenn. (WTVF) — Three years after Henry County lost its hospital labor and delivery services, babies could soon be born there again.
West Tennessee Healthcare announced Tuesday that it plans to bring labor and delivery back to WTH Henry County Hospital, with a goal of welcoming its first deliveries in spring 2027.
The announcement marks a significant turnaround for a community that fought to keep the hospital’s obstetrics services open in 2023.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates extensively covered Henry County Medical Center’s decision to close its maternity ward and specialized neonatal unit that year. Hospital leaders said at the time that low TennCare reimbursement rates made the department financially unsustainable. The closure meant some women in Henry County and surrounding communities faced drives of one to two hours to deliver their babies.
The department ultimately closed in September 2023.
Since then, the hospital itself has undergone major changes. West Tennessee Healthcare took over hospital operations in October 2024 as part of an agreement that included the transfer of operations and a long-term lease of the hospital property.
Now, the health system says it is preparing to restore one of the services the community fought hardest to keep.
“This is an exciting day for WTH Henry County Hospital and for our entire community,” hospital CEO Paula Bell said. “We know how much having labor and delivery here means to the families we serve.”
Bell served as the hospital's director of pharmacy beginning in 2018. She was named CEO of WTH Henry County Hospital in May 2025.
“There is something special about being able to welcome a new baby right here at home, and we are incredibly excited to be working toward bringing that opportunity back to Henry County,” Bell said.
West Tennessee Medical Group has already recruited another physician to join its Women’s Health team in Paris as part of preparations for reopening labor and delivery.
Inspire Women’s Health will also become West Tennessee Medical Group Women’s Health. The health system said patients will continue to receive care from the same local team under the new name.
West Tennessee Healthcare CEO Tina Prescott said the health system has heard from residents about how important restoring the service is.
“We have heard from the community how important the return of labor and delivery is, and we have listened,” Prescott said.
The health system has not yet announced an exact reopening date. It said more information about the new physician and the return of labor and delivery will be released as plans are finalized, including when the hospital is ready to begin scheduling new obstetric appointments.
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