Newport City Council held a Special Meeting on Tuesday, July 15
th
, and voted unanimously to pass a resolution in support of keeping the Newport Hospital Birthing Center fully operational.
It was an honor to see so many people in attendance and amongst those in the audience were families, mothers, medical professionals, and Newport Hospital Foundation Board members and Corporators. Some shared their experiences, knowledge, and expertise as to how important the Birthing Center is to all of those that it services, and what a difficult decision this has been for Newport Hospital and Brown Health leadership.
There are many issues at play in our community right now that could be impactful to the potential loss of the Birthing Center but it’s important to recognize how losing the Center could be the catalyst to further losses.
We are in the middle of a housing crisis that in some ways has been the result of Newport being the travel and tourism pinnacle of Rhode Island and an internationally known premiere vacation spot. And while that is an integral part of our local economy, it is also at a price to the residential aspect of our city. The results of this imbalance are seen in the housing, infrastructure, and transportation issues that we’re experiencing.
One of the side effects is that working class/middle income families are struggling to afford to live here and/or can’t afford to stay here. The ripple effect is not only a decrease in student enrollment in our public schools but a decrease in healthcare services that the Hospital provides, especially those through the Birthing Center.
It isn’t easy being a woman, we are constantly in a battle to fight for equality and equity, both in the personal and professional realms. For every two steps we take forward, in many cases we are pushed five steps back. And that is especially true when it comes to our reproductive systems.
However, the birthing process isn’t just a woman issue, it’s a human issue. It’s not only the most vulnerable aspect to being a woman, but it’s the most vulnerable part of being human….our entrance into this world as an infant.
It is a monumental experience, and women should have options to where they give birth. At the end of the day, it’s the services and support that they and their babies receive that make all the difference.
What we do now, the decisions that we make moving forward are going to impact this city tomorrow, five, 10, and 15 years from now.
The Birthing Center is an essential part of this community. If we don’t fight for it, that will unfortunately enable the decisions to cut more medical services easier to make.
WE are on the path to completely losing our working class/middle income families in our city, our public schools with be next, our hospital will follow, and the next generation of Newporters will cease to exist.
The time to work together and find a resolution is now, the time to put our residents first is today.
Stephanie Smyth
Newport City Councilor
Related
Newport City Council unanimously passes resolution urging Brown Health to keep birthing center open
New Newport Hospital President takes helm as City Council prepares to fight for birthing center
Newport City Council fights to save hospital birthing center from closure
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