NEWARK, N.Y. — Rochester Regional Health’s Newark-Wayne Community Hospital plans to close its birthing center this year.
The shutdown could mean doubling the time it takes pregnant women to get to the nearest hospital. News10NBC’s Tom Kowalski heard from the community and spoke with hospital leaders at a Rochester Regional Health public forum.
Leaders at Rochester Regional Health say things like dropping birth rates, an aging population, and struggles to recruit birthing specialists are leading to the planned closure of Marshall Birthing Center at the Newark-Wayne Community Hospital. It would leave rural families with a 45-minute drive to the next nearest birthing hospital.
“At one point we’re doing more than 700 [births]. In 2019, we were at 670 births. We were down to 380 last year,” Mulconry said.
Marcy Mulconry, RRH’s executive medical director of Women’s Health, says that’s one of the reasons RRH is looking to shut down the Newark-Wayne Community Hospital’s Marshall birthing center.
“It is primarily the OB-GYN physician space that we are having difficulty with recruitment. And again, to have a fully functioning, safe labor and delivery model, there needs to be an OB-GYN on call at all times,” Mulconry said.
“It’s not a financial issue. This truly comes down to our ability to recruit physicians that we need to sustain and provide that hospital with the appropriate clinical care,” said Michael Rulffes, President and C.O.O. of the Newark-Wayne Community Hospital.
Patients who previously went to Newark-Wayne will have to drive 35 miles to Rochester General Hospital, the next closest hospital with a birthing unit.
“There are plenty of places here in Wayne County that are 45 minutes or more away from the nearest hospital that has a birthing center once this one closes, and that’s in good weather,” said Stephen, a Wayne County resident.
Stephen’s wife works for Rochester Regional Health and asked not to share his last name.
“What worries me as a father, as a husband, is a situation where a mom might have serious complications. Maybe the baby’s not breathing or the cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck or something like that. And it is completely plausible that in a situation like that, we could lose mothers, we could lose babies, we could lose both,” Stephen said.
“Not only are we losing this resource for our community, but now my coworkers, my friends, my family. These people are all job seeking in the same realm,” said Sara Erdeli.
Sara Erdeli not only works at the birthing center but gave birth to her 6-month-old son, Ryder James, there.
“Can you put a price on baby’s life? Can you put a price on mom’s life?” Erdeli said.
Rochester Regional Health says it’s not exactly clear when the birthing center may close, as it depends on when they hear back from the state Department of Health. RRH leaders did say if they’re able to recruit more OB-GYNs in the future, they’d be open to reinstating the birthing center.
Newark-Wayne Community Hospital’s birthing center set to close, leaving some Wayne County mothers with a 45-minute drive to deliver WHEC.com.
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