Transforming the Nation's Health

Bottom line: Will Burdett closure improve infant and maternal outcomes?

I was born at Samaritan Hospital in Troy 32 years ago. In 1991, there were three maternity units available my mother could have gone to in Rensselaer County: Leonard Hospital, St. Mary’s, and Samaritan Hospital. Today, if Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital closes, there would no longer be any maternity units in Rensselaer County.

In looking to close Burdett, St. Peter’s Health Partners cited a $2.3 million shortfall in the maternity unit in fiscal year 2022. St. Peter’s also argued that birth rates are continuing to decline and cited challenges related to nursing shortages.

As a family nurse practitioner, I have witnessed the burdens that the nursing shortage and maternity ward closures have created. We are in a crisis. The Centers for Disease Control just announced that the infant mortality rate has increased for the first time in 20 years. Over 29 maternity wards have closed (or have announced plans for closure) in New York state in the past 15 years. This is not a time for St. Peter’s to eye maternity services as it tries to cut costs. Our expectant mothers deserve better. The closure of Burdett Birth Center would increase the burden on pregnant women, their families and the community.

Let’s consider just one aspect of this hardship: transportation. If I were being born after a Burdett closure, my mother would be forced to travel to another city for my entrance into this world, which required an emergency C-section. Analysis done by the March of Dimes determined that the distance to the nearest birthing hospital within New York state would increase by 300 percent for women living in Rensselaer County, with those in the more rural parts of the county being most impacted. The longer the distance required to travel for maternity care, the greater the risk for maternal morbidities and adverse infant outcomes, such as stillbirth or an NICU admission.

As reported in the community-led health equity impact assessment from the Save Burdett Birth Center Coalition, 22% of Troy residents do not have access to a private vehicle. This could require a mother to potentially use a costly rideshare service. In an emergency delivery where hemorrhage is a potential concern, access to first responders via ambulance may be challenging due to reported short staffing and a limited number of available ambulances.

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently addressed the infant and maternal mortality crisis by noting that doula services will be available starting next year for those enrolled in Medicaid, and by highlighting the state’s $4.5 million in annual funding for regional perinatal centers. These are steps in the right direction, as are actions taken over the past year aimed at combating the nursing shortage. But we have to keep maternity services accessible to everyone in the community. We have to keep on the pressure, making people aware of the consequences of a Burdett closure. Keeping the birth center open will give the families of Rensselaer County a chance at a better future.