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James to host hearing on hospital ending birthing services

Sep 12, 2023 12:11 am

The Troy Record reports New York State Attorney General Letitia James will host a public hearing about the proposed closure of the Burdett Birthing Center on Monday, Sept. 18 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bush Memorial Center at Russell Sage College, 60 1st St., in Troy. If the center closes, there will not be any birthing locations in Rensselaer County, and their are already no birthing centers in Greene and Columbia counties. Columbia Memorial in Hudson stopped birthing services in 2019. The Troy-based birthing center in Samaritan Hospital brought 881 infants into the world last year, and as of May, 320 infants this year. James said in a press release, “As the only maternal unit in Rensselaer County, the Burdett Birth Center is an integral part of the local community and the entire region for essential health care.... The prospect of this center closing is deeply concerning, as it would greatly affect communities throughout the Capital Region and beyond." Hospital officials cite financial concerns when explaining why they want to close the center. Read more about this story jn the Troy Record.