At the end of this month, PeaceHealth will close its free-standing Nurse Midwifery Birth Center in Springfield. Despite public outcry, hospital administration has shown no sign of changing the decision they announced on May 7 th. As KLCC鈥檚 Tiffany Eckert reports, some expectant mothers are now having to make new birth plans and decide where and with whom they will deliver their babies.
鈥淗i my name is Marisa and I鈥檓 a patient of the Birth Center.鈥�
29 year old Marisa Ramirez sits on a park bench watching her two sons scramble up a play structure. Both were delivered by midwives, one at the Springfield Birth Center. Rameriz says the 鈥渉igh touch, low intervention鈥� model of care empowered her.
鈥淛ust being able to go through it naturally and realize the power that my body had,鈥� Ramirez says. 鈥淎nd to have had that back up from my midwife, from my family. It was magnificent.鈥�
Ramirez is pregnant again--7陆 months along. She says she could hardly contain her excitement about returning to the Birth Center in Springfield.
鈥淭he day after I found out I was pregnant, I think I was two weeks along, I called them,鈥� Ramirez says, 鈥渁nd they were like 鈥榟old your horses, (laugh) ya gotta wait a few weeks.鈥欌��
Early last spring, Ramirez did begin her pre-natal care at the Birth Center. In May, she was told about PeaceHealth鈥檚 plan to cease midwifery services within the hospital system at the end of August. Ramirez is due October 11. She describes how the news made her feel.
鈥淒evastated. I cried for weeks when I found out,鈥� says Ramirez. 鈥淎ny time I saw anything relating to the Birth Center. Oh, my gosh. It鈥檚 just been such a difficult thing to really stomach.鈥�
Reporter: 鈥淲hat are you going to do Marisa?鈥�
鈥淚 honestly am not sure. I鈥檓 so stubborn,鈥� says Ramirez. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just in my blood to be stubborn and especially with something as important as this.鈥�
Her sons scamper over with their Nana.
Terri Wright is Marisa鈥檚 mom and she is downright angry about what is happening to her daughter mid-pregnancy.
鈥淚 think it was very callous of PeaceHealth to say, 鈥榚h, we鈥檙e gonna shut down in August and we don鈥檛 care who it鈥檚 going to inconvenience,鈥� Wright says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 care that the moms that are counting on you to deliver their babies鈥攈ave to go somewhere else. They just didn鈥檛 care.鈥�
Wright reaches over and touches her daughter鈥檚 face. Marisa鈥檚 auburn hair reflects the late afternoon sun.
鈥淚 guess I鈥檓 just gonna have to find someone,鈥� she says.
Ramirez continues her pre-natal appointments with nurse midwives at the Birth Center, but the future still seems unclear to her.
(sniff) 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 seem like anyone really has known exactly what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
(sound of Rally, chants and cars honking)
On June 7, advocates and clients, including scores of children, marched the perimeter of RiverBend in support of the Nurse Midwifery Birth Center. Inside the hospital, PeaceHealth Oregon鈥檚 spokesperson Marcy Marshall sat down to answer some questions. She told me the decision to close the Birth Center was made by a team of leadership.
鈥淟ooking at trends not only within the Birth Center itself but also nationally and within Oregon, when it comes to birthing,鈥� says Marshall. 鈥淎nd through careful assessment it was made that it was not sustainable from a safety and quality perspective, to keep the birthing at the Birth Center.鈥�
Marshall did not elaborate on specific safety issues. But the Birth Center is nationally accredited and internationally recognized. And it鈥檚 just minutes away from hospital.
A recent study by the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Innovation finds free-standing birth centers with certified nurse midwives are more cost effective and have lower caesarian section rates than hospitals.
The cost of a standard nurse midwife assisted delivery at the Birth Center averages $7,500. A comparable delivery in-hospital at RiverBend is estimated to cost close to $18,000.
鈥淭here is a sense that profit drives. And that money matters, a lot,鈥� KLCC tells Marshall. 鈥淲hat can you say to assuage people鈥檚 concerns when they call you Sacred Wallet?鈥�
鈥淲e are a non-profit organization which means we don鈥檛 earn profits,鈥� Marshall says. 鈥淓verything is re-invested back into the organization. So our accountability is to the community.鈥�
Critics say PeaceHealth should at least allow all current patients of the Birth Center to deliver before they terminate the nurse midwives and close.
Marshall says the hospital鈥檚 position is unwavering.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not changing our mind,鈥� Marshall states. 鈥淲e are moving forward. You know, the decision has been made.鈥�
Back at the park, Marisa Ramirez says until this day she had not let herself believe the Birth Center would close, let alone before she is ready to give birth to her last baby鈥攁 girl.
Her mom says the decision is heartless.
鈥淲hen it鈥檚 a hospital you鈥檙e talking about鈥攚hen it鈥檚 PeaceHealth? That name doesn鈥檛 even fit anymore,鈥� White says. 鈥淪acred Heart? Gimme鈥� a break.鈥�
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