It was a busy year for the South Bruce Grey Health Centre's obstetrics unit in Walkerton.
President and CEO Paul Rosebush says they delivered 418 babies during the 2015-2016 fiscal year that ended on March 31, which is a new record for the Walkerton site and an increase from 403 babies the previous year.
He says the reason for the increasing number of babies being born in Walkerton is based on the positive reputation of their obstetrics unit.
"The reputation is spreading, doctors are referring their patients to our obstetrics unit and we have nothing but high, high satisfaction from the families who leave," says Rosebush. "In fact, it's 100% patient satisfaction."
Rosebush points out expecting families from across the region are choosing Walkerton for their birth, adding they regularly see referrals from places like Saugeen Shores, Grey Highlands and Southgate.
He also says it's a record they don't expect to stand for long, as the number of births continue to increase, the hospital expects to set another record for babies in 2016-2017.
The large number births does have a budgetary impact, as Rosebush says the hospital is not funded on a per-birth basis, but rather out of a global block of funding, so a record year for births does not come with any extra funding.
He says they are pressuring the province to reconsider how they fund rural hospitals with birthing units, but adds they are able to keep their budget balanced without compromising the quality of care.