JEROME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Jerome community gathered at a coffee shop on Tuesday evening to discuss a potential return of obstetric services to the city.

St. Luke’s hosted a community conversation at Renew focusing on gauging people’s current thoughts on delivery and maternity services for women in Jerome.

The hospital halted services a couple of years ago due to nurse shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chief Medical Officer Joshua Kern, M.D.

Due to the shortage, St. Luke’s Jerome Medical Center could not keep obstetric operations going since it could not staff them properly.

Kern said St. Luke’s will be spending the next three to five years going through a scope of services plan to consider the potential needs for a new facility.

“We had bought a piece of pr

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