Last week the Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital Board elected to work toward closing its labor and delivery unit. Citing a further cash crunch, the Demopolis hospital reduced its staff through layoffs Monday and Tuesday of this week.

“We’ve gotten caught in a demographic crunch that we’ve all seen coming,” BWWMH administrator Mike Marshall said. “It’s going to get worse quite frankly.”

Marshall said the hospital laid off 27 employees Monday and will employ what he called “creative scheduling” for a number of its departments.

“We’re spending right at $1.1 million a year and we’re taking in about $500,000,” he said of the labor and delivery department.

Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., Demopolis city leaders will work with members of the hospital board to seek resolution to the problems facing the county’s largest healthcare provider and one of its largest employers.

“We all know the problem,” Grayson said. “What we need are answers and solutions.”