Newport City Council to meet over status of hospital birthing center

NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — Tuesday night in Newport, the city council will convene for a special meeting regarding the fate of the Newport Hospital birthing center during a leadership change.

The city council will vote on a resolution that advocates for the continued operation of the Drexel Birthing Center.

The resolution comes as Newport Hospital names Dr. Tenny Thomas as its new president, and as hospital owner Brown Health faces a budget shortfall.

Legislators are now asking Brown Health to keep the birthing center in place.

The Newport City Council special meeting starts Tuesday night at 7.

Brown Health sent a statement back in May regarding the rumors about the birthing center’s possible closure.

The healthcare system said they’re waiting on the state to act.

“As part of our responsible planning, we are assessing the potential impact, if the proposed $90 million dollar legislative Medicaid funding increase is not approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly. Without it, significant service reductions may be necessary to preserve our long-term mission and financial sustainability,” said the Brown Health statement.

Since then, the general assembly has approved $40 million in Medicaid rate increases.

There is no word yet from Brown Health on their plans for the birthing center.