People arrive for a public hearing on the potential closure of the Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in Troy, N.Y. The closure of the center will be delayed until spring 2024 so St. Peter’s can work on transportation concerns, the hospital system said.
Will Waldron/Times UnionTROY — St. Peter’s Health Partners on Monday released a study on the health equity impact of its proposed closure of Burdett Birth Center in Troy and announced that the closure has been delayed by up to six months as the hospital network works to address outstanding transportation and access concerns.
Over the summer, news of the planned closure provoked an outcry from the Troy community, prompting St. Peter’s to agree to a Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA), the first analysis of its kind in New York since the recent enactment of a state law that aims to ensure community outreach before a hospital reduces or eliminates a service.
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While St. Peter’s — which is part of the national Trinity Health network — submitted its closure application to the state Department of Health two days ahead of the guidelines’ start date, it voluntarily undertook the HEIA process in order to gather concerns from throughout the community before devising a closure plan, hospital executives have said.
“The information we have received from this Health Equity Impact Assessment has been most valuable in highlighting the community concerns surrounding the closure of Burdett Birth Center,” said Dr. Steven Hanks, president and CEO, St. Peter’s Health Partners and St. Joseph’s Health.
St. Peter’s initially planned to close the maternity ward attached to Samaritan Hospital in December. Officials have extended the timeline for closure, anticipating shuttering delivery services at Burdett in the spring of 2024 and no later than June 30, 2024.
Burdett Birth Center, formed in 2011 through the merger of two Troy hospitals with the St. Peter’s Health Partners network, is the only maternity ward in Rensselaer County.
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The equity survey was conducted by Chartis, an independent agency hired by St. Peter’s that bills itself as “one of the first national consulting firms devoted to the advancement of social and racial justice, health equity, and belonging.”
More than 750 community members, leaders, health care providers and birthing individuals participated in the survey, providing their insights and perspectives, with 98 percent expressing opposition to the closure.
The report, which notes pre- and post-natal care will continue to be provided in Rensselaer County, focuses largely on transportation barriers and the Troy community’s preference for midwife-supported birth.
In 2022, 42 percent of the newborns at Samaritan Hospital were from an identified medically underserved group, Chartis found. About 41 percent of births at the Troy birth center were performed by midwives during the 19 months ending July 2023.
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Most patients in Rensselaer County will see their travel distance for birth and delivery service double or triple — and in 40 percent of the zip codes surveyed, at least 10 percent of patients reported not owning a car, according to the report.
Recognizing the benefits of incorporating midwives and doulas in the birthing process, the study’s authors indicate that St. Peter’s has committed to adopting Burdett’s midwife model of care at its Albany flagship hospital.
“Supporting the health of the community is St. Peter’s Health Partners’ mission and our greatest priority,” St. Peter’s senior vice president of operations Kim Baker said in a statement. “We take great pride in our commitment to compassionate care for birthing individuals, both at Samaritan Hospital and St. Peter’s Hospital. Our teams of dedicated midwives, obstetricians, nurses, and support staff are what make our care so exceptional – they are the ones responsible for ensuring quality and patient choice in the birthing experience, regardless of location.”
In addition to the surveys, the assessment was driven by individual and group interviews that provided additional insight and perspectives, hospital officials said.
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St. Peter’s is also holding a virtual open house for the Troy community on Thursday, November 9, at 6 p.m.
The event will feature hospital leaders, physicians, nurses and midwives who the hospital system said will provide insight into the process as it moves forward, with a focus on information about how St. Peter’s will care for patients – including transportation planning and midwifery-assisted delivery. A moderated question and answer period will follow.
“We understand the importance of these discussions to everyone who relies on SPHP for their maternity care and are hopeful the community will see that our closure plan addresses the impacts identified in the health equity impact assessment,” Hanks said. “We continue to believe this is the right decision to ensure everyone has access to the care they need, whoever they are and wherever they may reside in the Capital Region.”
Individuals are encouraged to visit http://www.sphp/burdett at that time, where a link will be shared to log in and participate.
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