Even though Brown University Health said today that the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital will not close in the next fiscal year, the community will still come together tonight to support the facility.
According to organizers, the Moms Over Margins Rally will go forward as planned today at 6 p.m. on the lawn outside Newport City Hall on Broadway.
The birthing center is still included in the FY26 budget and is not now planned to close, according to a letter sent to staff members today by John Fernandez, president and CEO of Brown University Health. However, he cautioned that the facility’s long-term viability will be assessed throughout the course of the following year.
Following strong community pressure, including a unanimous vote passed by the Newport City Council and support from state lawmakers, the announcement was made. More than 300 births have been reported at the institution so far in 2025, and about 500 infants were born there last year.
According to Fernandez, a task force will be established by the health system to study Newport Hospital’s labor and delivery services, evaluating their influence on the community, the state, finances, operations, safety, and accessibility. Physicians, nurses, donors, and other community leaders will provide feedback to the task committee.
In a statement released today, Governor Dan McKee commended the decision, stating that his government had been quietly pushing to keep the facility open for a while.
Following my discussion with John Fernandez, the CEO of Brown University Health, today, I am pleased to announce that the Birthing Center will not be slashed from the organization’s FY26 budget, McKee stated.
The House delegation from Aquidneck Island also conveyed relief at the news. Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Newport, expressed gratitude to the mothers who spoke up to keep the center open and to the thousands of individuals who signed the petition to keep it open.
Due to budgetary constraints, Brown Health identified seven programs in May that could be trimmed or shut down, including the birthing facility. Fernandez stated that the health system had failed to meet its goal of a 3% operating margin over the last ten years, citing $138 million in Medicaid losses over two years.
The health system had sought a $270 million statewide proposal to address underfunding, but Fernandez said that was insufficient despite recent state efforts securing $23 million in greater support.
In addition to Newport City Council members Stephanie Smyth, Xay Khamsyvoravong, and Ellen Pinnock, Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is set to speak at the rally tonight. It is also anticipated that community advocates and medical professionals would speak.
Named for Newport philanthropist Noreen Stonor Drexel, the birthing center received the 2004 UNICEF and World Health Organization Baby Friendly certification for its superiority in promoting nursing among new moms.
Get in touch with Stephanie Smyth at [email protected] or (401) 318-1132 for additional details regarding tonight’s rally.
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