Wahiawa General Hospital's planned closure of its obstetrics unit could come as early as May 12, though a group of nurses is continuing to lobby to keep the birthing facility open.

The hospital yesterday announced it would indefinitely suspend maternity services by the end of May as it looks for ways to lower $3 million of losses it is projecting this year. The obstetrics closure will cut the losses by about $700,000, said Don Olden, the hospital's chief executive officer.

"It will close between the 12th and the 31st," Olden said, explaining he didn't expect any government or other emergency funding would be available to keep the hospital's birth center open. The hospital handles between 240 and 300 births a year.

Wahiawa General had not disclosed dates when it announced two weeks ago that the unit would close. The shuttering of the facility will mean women in Wahiawa, the North Shore, Mililani and elsewhere in Central O'ahu will need to travel to Ho-nolulu or Kailua to give birth.

Some of the unit's nurses have argued against the closure, saying it offers more personal care than larger facilities and that more can be done to market the hospital's maternity services to area women.

"There could be a PR campaign about the excellent care at the hospital," said registered nurse Michelle Ogata, who said nurses have collected more than 930 signatures on a petition to keep the birth center open. Ogata was to appear at a Wahiawa Neighborhood Board meeting last night to discuss the need for keeping such services in the area.

The nurses also are scheduled to appear before the Mililani Mauka Neighborhood Board tonight and the Mililani-Waipi'o Neighborhood Board on April 25. They will seek passage of a resolution at tonight's Mililani Mauka meeting urging the hospital and others to find a way to keep the obstetrics unit open. Ogata said the nurses also are seeking help in the effort from their union, the Hawai'i Nurses Association.

Ogata said she received a certified letter from the hospital's head of nursing last week stating the unit would be closing on May 12. But Olden said the letter was the result of a miscommunication and that selecting a closing day will depend on a number of factors, including how many patients obstetricians steer to other hospitals and having enough nurses to keep the unit open. If all patients and nurses remain, the unit's last day will probably be May 31.

Olden said no one had stepped forward to make up the funding shortfall for the birth center. He said the hospital has an $850,000 grant in aid request pending before the state Legislature, but that programs to receive funds under that request would be after-hours emergency services, the family practice residency program and other initiatives.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.