The list of available birthing centers in rural New York is getting smaller. On Tuesday, North Star Health Alliance announced plans to close the birthing center at the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus in Ogdensburg. It’s part of ongoing restructuring and stabilization efforts that followed the medical organization’s bankruptcy filing this past February. In a statement, North Star said the North Country has experienced a sustained decline in birth volumes, like many rural communities across the country.”As patient volumes have declined, the significant costs associated with maintaining 24/7 labor and delivery services are no longer sustainable,” the statement said. The announcement points to a more significant trend among rural hospitals that face growing costs and low reimbursement rates. In 2022, Alice Hyde Medical Center closed its maternity center in Malone. Since 2019, at least two maternity centers closed in Vermont, according to a report from the UVM Larner College of Medicine. This month, the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital also announced plans to close its birthing center. A closure plan for Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center will be submitted to the New York State Department of Health. Labor and delivery services will continue throughout the review process, which is expected to last 90 days.
The list of available birthing centers in rural New York is getting smaller.
On Tuesday, North Star Health Alliance announced plans to close the birthing center at the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus in Ogdensburg.
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It’s part of ongoing restructuring and stabilization efforts that followed the medical organization’s bankruptcy filing this past February. In a statement, North Star said the North Country has experienced a sustained decline in birth volumes, like many rural communities across the country.
“As patient volumes have declined, the significant costs associated with maintaining 24/7 labor and delivery services are no longer sustainable,” the statement said.
The announcement points to a more significant trend among rural hospitals that face growing costs and low reimbursement rates.
In 2022, Alice Hyde Medical Center closed its maternity center in Malone. Since 2019, at least two maternity centers closed in Vermont, according to a report from the UVM Larner College of Medicine. This month, the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital also announced plans to close its birthing center.
A closure plan for Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center will be submitted to the New York State Department of Health. Labor and delivery services will continue throughout the review process, which is expected to last 90 days.
