Since Trinity Health announced its proposal to close the Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital, there has been a swift and passionate response from various members of the community, including elected officials, advocates, donors, and board members of St. Peter’s organizations. This opposition is growing stronger with each passing day.
The calls, emails, and letters that have been flooding in are crucial. It is essential that we maintain this momentum and make it known that the community stands in opposition to the closure.
The advocacy efforts have already yielded tangible results. Trinity has agreed to conduct a voluntary community impact assessment, which would not have been required based on the timing of the closure application.
As we continue to fight against this proposal, I have a special request for the residents in the communities served by Burdett, particularly pregnant women: Please consider choosing Burdett Birth Center for your birth. The uncertainty surrounding the proposed closure may discourage some from selecting Burdett. However, it is important for the community to demonstrate an ongoing demand for birthing services at Burdett. I acknowledge that this is not an easy decision, as it is deeply personal. Nevertheless, it is worth considering that Trinity’s argument for closure is based on the fact that 75% of Rensselaer County residents opt for hospitals outside the county for their deliveries, while only 25% occur at Samaritan Hospital. We must counter this justification and show that there is a real need for Burdett Birth Center.
As a practicing Catholic, I am troubled by the fact that we are engaged in a battle with a Catholic-based institution to keep birthing services accessible in the Capital Region. Given the alarmingly high maternal mortality rate, especially among Black and brown women, this decision is unequivocally wrong. We cannot allow women to give birth in emergency rooms or ambulances on a regular basis, endangering their own lives and the lives of their babies.
I recently received a message from a local woman who voiced her concerns about the proposed closure. She made an excellent point: research has demonstrated that women make 80% of the healthcare decisions for their families. If Burdett were to close, it would not only impact birthing services in Rensselaer County but could also cause a ripple effect, leading the entire family to seek medical services outside of Samaritan Hospital. This could potentially give Trinity grounds to argue for the closure of the only hospital in Troy.
I will continue to work tirelessly to prevent the closure of the birth center, and I urge everyone to do their part in supporting the communities served by Burdett and Samaritan Hospital. This is not an exaggeration when I say that it is a matter of life and death.
– Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, representing the 108th state Assembly District.
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