Two weeks before this past Christmas, New York-Presbyterian (NYP) sent out letters stating it had plans to close its midwifery services at its NYP Allen Hospital.
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) held a speak-out on January 11 to rally against the proposed closure.
Effective March 3, 2024, the NYP Allen Hospital, which serves the Inwood, Washington Heights, and Bronx communities, will end its midwife services program. CBS News reported that the jobs of seven national and state licensed certified nurse midwives are scheduled to be terminated.
“NYP’s decision to terminate these vital services at NYP Allen Hospital will contribute to health inequities that Black and brown birthing people already disproportionately face,” NYSNA said in a statement. “Most of the NYP Allen midwives live in the community where they work, and some have decades of experience serving this community.
“Eliminating experienced, community-based midwives will likely have a negative impact on quality care and health equity. [The] New York State Nurses Association is calling on the hospital to maintain these services.”
“This ain’t right, because midwives provide essential care to women from adolescence to menopause years,” one NYSNA member said.
New York State Senator Robert Jackson, who represents District 31, took part in the speak-out. Sen. Jackson said he recognized the “importance of making sure that midwifery services at Allen flourish rather than [be] shut down or diminish[ed]. And for these reasons it is crucial, crucial that the parties come together and reach an agreement on the future of midwifery that has served our community…since 1955.”
Ingrid Deler-Garcia, who has worked as a certified nurse midwife (CNM) for 33 years, said she and other workers were shocked by the impersonal termination letter they received from NYP Allen. The letter was devoid of humanity, she charged, or any recognition of the role midwives have historically played in the community.
City Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, who represents northern Manhattan, said this is a time when maternal health and infant mortality has to be prioritized. “The risk factors for the death of a birthing person––the death of a child––are extremely high because of the conditions in which we live,” De La Rosa said. “When we think about income inequality, when we think about the disparities in health care, when we think about environmental factors in this environmental justice community, we know why our mothers are dying. The only way we can prevent birthing people from passing away during childbirth is preventative care. The only way we can ensure the life of that child is by making sure that, when that moment comes, there is someone there to support and help guide [the mother].”
Chants of “Save nurse midwives and the community they serve!” greeted CNM Patricia Loftman when she approached the mic to speak to the gathering about the fact that when midwives are present, a birthing person is less likely to resort to having a C-section delivery. Chances of having a pre-term birth also lessen with a midwife present, Loftman added. According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 of every 10 babies born in the United States is born premature.
“What’s so important about these midwives?” Loftman asked: “Why are we out here? Let me give you a global view: Maternal mortality around the world is less than in the United States of America—in spite of all the money that we pour into healthcare…What is so special about the midwives here at Allen Hospital [is that] this is a community hospital of mostly immigrant people. We know the value of midwives in immigrant communities. Those of us who come from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic…those are the people we look for when the time comes, to take care of us and protect us and bring our beloved children into the world.” In a statement, NewYork-Presbyterian told the AmNews: “Our perinatal care teams at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital – which will include midwives affiliated with our partners at Columbia – are focused on providing the highest standard of care, including the very best patient experience, to mothers and their newborns in our Northern Manhattan community. All of our team members have been given the opportunity to pursue other perinatal care positions within our system.”