VALDOSTA – Emergency room patients will soon have only one option in Valdosta.

The Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County announced that as of July 17, ER and inpatient service will stop at Smith Northview hospital.

Emergency services will only be provided at South Georgia Medical Center on North Patterson Street.

The Smith Northview Hospital will now only provide urgent care services, ambulatory surgery services, and outpatient services at that location.

“After a careful and thorough analysis of options for the satellite campus, the management team determined that these changes are necessary to continue to provide the highest quality of patient care and service to residents of the community, while maintaining efficient and cost effective hospital operations,” according to Randy Sauls, Chief Executive Officer in a report from WALB.