Hearing held on proposal to close Memorial Birthing Center

March 14, 2016 5:40 pm

By Samantha Fenlon

sfenlon@abc6.com

Dozens came out to Goff Junior High School in Pawtucket Monday night to voice their opinions surrounding the proposal to close the birthing center at Memorial Hospital.

"I care please don’t shut down this hospital,” Sharon Santos a mother of three told the crowd.

Santos told a panel from the Department of Health about how doctors at Memorial Hospital saved her daughter, citing their excellent patient care as one reason the birthing center should not close.

"Peoples health is not being put first and that is the whole point of a hospital and doctors,” said Santos.

The first of 3 public hearings on the proposed closure lasted over an hour. The majority of testimony from nurses and mothers against the closure.

"I am so angry beyond words angry,” said Lauren Fontaine a nurse at Memorial Hospital. "This is devastating to this community it is catastrophic there’s no way that they can replicate what we do in Pawtucket anywhere else."

Last month Care New England announced plans to close the birthing center.

They say it hasn’t made a profit in almost ten years and that it’s lost three million a month since July.

"We have to make some difficult decisions and I think that this is the right decision. If we don’t make this decision correctly, I think we threaten the very existence of the entire institution,” said Arthur Deblois the former interim President of the hospital.

Nurses estimate there could be 200 jobs lost.

A representative from Care New England told ABC 6 News she didn’t think that number was correct.

"We’ve made a conscious effort to hold positions so that we can try as much as possible to relocate staff within the Care New England system,” said Angelleen Peters-Lewis.

There are two more public meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Ultimately, the Department of Health will make the decision on whether the Birthing Center will close.