The MaineHealth board voted on August 6 to close the birthing unit at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, ending months of uncertainty with a firm date and moving deliveries to Brunswick, a drive of roughly 35 to 45 minutes. Labor and delivery services will transition to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital starting December 18, according to the health system's announcement of the closure. It is no longer whether the unit closes but what to do about a due date that falls after mid-December. MaineHealth's board voted on August 6, 2026, to close the birthing unit at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, with labor and delivery moving to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick on December 18. Prenatal and postpartum care remain at Lincoln Hospital, along with expanded gynecologic services, under a regional model with Mid Coast.