Babies will no longer be delivered at Crenshaw Community Hospital effective July 4, officials said Wednesday.

CCH CEO Brad Eiseman cited financial cuts from sequestration and other issues with the Affordable Care Act as reasons for discontinuing the OB services.

Eiseman said in 2012, CCH delivered 108 babies.

“It was a very difficult decision,” he said. “It is not one we wanted to make, but these things have forced us to.”

Eiseman praised Dr. Charles Tompkins for his efforts in providing OB services to women in the county and surrounding area.

“Dr. Tompkins is a fantastic physician,” he said. “This was not about care. It is 100 percent financial.”

Eiseman said it’s a growing trend for rural counties to not provide OB services.

“We’ve delivered babies here since we’ve been here,” he said.

Eiseman said for women who are “stuck in the transition,” the hospital will “help in anyway we can to provide reference to other OB doctors.”

Now, expectant mothers will have to travel to Andalusia, Enterprise, Montgomery or Dothan.

Eiseman said hospital officials are looking to expand its services in other areas , including implementing a rehab unit, picc line, and bringing in two orthopedic physicians.

“We want to grow where we are able to,” he said.