A shortage of proper health facilities in rural areas is certainly nothing new, but now, it appears a new issue has arisen for Ironwood City in Gogebic County, Michigan, where maternity doctors and specialists are nowhere to be found. This scarcity of proper medical maternal care will now force pregnant women and their families to drive 45 miles to Wisconsin just to give birth, or at least minimize the dangers of childbirth.
Residents of Ironwood City are the most affected since Aspirus Health will be pulling out its labor and delivery services in Ironwood Hospital by the final day of 2025. Apparently, the issue occurred due to Aspirus Health’s inability to hire medical personnel for the region. For reference, Ironwood in Gogebic County is near the border of Michigan and Wisconsin.
“Despite years of aggressive recruiting, Aspirus has been unable to secure a full maternal care team in Ironwood. Since June 2024, the hospital has operated with just one full-time family practice/obstetrics physician, making 24/7/365 coverage unsustainable,” according to Aspirus Health, transcript courtesy of Detroit Free Press
Sadly, the nearest medical facility with proper labor and delivery staff would be 45 miles (or 45 minutes on clear congestion) away in Tamarack Health Ashland Medical Center in Ashland, Wisconsin. Ironwood Hospital’s remaining facilities and medical staff do not have the proper training for problematic childbirths.
That isn’t to say Ironwood Hospital lacked funding. The hospital was awarded $1.2 million in 2025. Still, they seem to have trouble finding doctors and specialists who want to be stationed in the region. It’s not clear, however, whether the hospital still accepted or kept the $1.2 million or how the money was used, given that they’re now cutting back services and closing birthing units.
Republican State Senators Ed McBroom and Congressman Greg Markkanen, along with the remaining medical staff of Ironwood Hospital, were outraged by the decision. And while no one is losing their job because of the dramatic changes, the hospital will continue to provide labor and maternal care, though they will likely have to work harder.
People online blame the county’s political stance for why doctors left
This healthcare crisis isn’t just limited to Ironwood City. It’s not clear what drove medical professionals away from the state, but it’s worth noting that doctors have been relocating to Canada while OB-GYNs are leaving or avoiding abortion-restrictive states. It’s worth noting that Gogebic County, Michigan, voted 57.8 percent in favor of Trump and only 40.7 percent for Harris. Thus, many people online have begun pointing fingers at the US administration.
“It’s ok. They’ll still blame Biden,” jokes one Reddit user
“They voted for Trump in 2024 and are now losing their only birthing facility because of a combination of Medicaid cuts and the fact that they can’t get any trained medical personnel to live in their MAGA society.”
“Why would any doctor want to live amongst a group of people who are actively hostile to the ideas of science and expertise”
Some people, however, are worried that the issue in rural Michigan might be replicated in other US states or even in highly populated urban counties, given how the whole country is also experiencing the side effects of fewer OB-GYNs and strained medical care.
“I feel bad for the other 43% of the county who will also be hurt by this. The only way these people (edit: MAGA) are going to learn anything is when it starts hurting them, directly. No sympathy there, but there’s gonna be collateral damage. I’m struggling today on how to reconcile these feelings,” shares another Reddit user
