- December 5, 2025
On the campaign trail, Mayor Mike Norris heard a recurring question: Why is there so little maternity care in Flagler County?
Denyse Bales-Chubb, president/CEO for AdventHealth Palm Coast, told the City Council on Jan. 28 that since the fastest growing demographic in the area is the over-65 population, the company has not offered baby delivery facilities in Palm Coast, although it does deliver babies in its Daytona Beach hospital.
“We want to make sure we are delivering only exceptional care,” Bales-Cubb said. Due to the low numbers of babies that would be delivered in Palm Coast, AdventHealth wouldn’t be able to retain the physicians to provide care, she said.
City Councilwoman Theresa Pontieri, who had a baby recently herself, wasn’t satisfied. “That’s a business response,” she said.
She said she hadn’t been able to find a local OB-GYN who was accepting patients. Instead, Flagler residents have to get care in Daytona Beach or St. Augustine.
“It’s a struggle,” she said.
She challenged AdventHealth to “show a partnership with the community.” “We need a true outreach” to add more OB-GYN services.
Bales-Chubb responded: “We will take it back to our team and run some numbers and see what we can do.”
Bales-Chubb and Wally DeAquino, president and CEO of AdventHealth’s Palm Coast Parkway hospital, visited the City Council workshop on Jan. 28 to provide an update on the company’s work in the community, which includes opening the $30 million Freytag Cancer Center and Health Plaza, which will allow locals to receive specialized cancer treatment services without leaving Flagler County.
AdventHealth, which is a nonprofit institution, tallied over 63,300 Emergency Department visits in Flagler County last year. About 73% of AdventHealth’s local staff also live in Flagler County.
