Nurses Object To Smithtown Hospital Shutting Down Maternity Ward

SMITHTOWN, NY — St. Catherine of Siena Hospital is set to shut down its maternity ward effective Feb. 1, the Smithtown hospital announced. The New York State Nurses Association issued a "demand" that the hospital continue its maternal child health services.

The association said the move will "negatively impact" families in the area that depend on the labor and delivery, NICU, and other maternal health services at this hospital.

"The abrupt termination of maternal child health services by St. Catherine of Siena Hospital is an alarming decision that endangers the well-being of families in our community," NYSNA President Nancy Hagans said in a news release. "In critical situations, minutes matter, and the closure of these units puts pregnant individuals and critically ill infants at heightened risk. St. Catherine needs to reverse this decision and preserve these essential healthcare services for the sake of the community's health and future generations."

Catholic Health held extended negotiations to employ the OB-GYN providers at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, but factors outside of the hospital's control are forcing the change, a spokesperson for Catholic Health stated. The spokesperson cited changes within the physicians' "private employment and contract obligations."

"Despite our best efforts to find alternative options for coverage, as of February 1, there will be no OB-GYN physicians at the hospital to provide maternity services," Catholic Health stated. "Since each patient’s birth plan is developed with their OB-GYN and not the hospital, once the physicians leave, elective births at St. Catherine of Siena will cease to occur. Staff will remain in their current positions after February 1, and we will continue to work with the State to ensure we meet appropriate regulations regarding staffing and emergency delivery coverage going forward."

The state nurses association said "minutes matter" when there is a life-or-death pregnancy issue or critically ill baby. The association said other hospitals are a 30-to-40-minute drive away from Smithtown residents.

Catholic Health stated that Good Samaritan University Hospital and St. Charles Hospital are both known for providing "exceptional maternity care in newly renovated, best-in-class facilities."

Maternity services are also provided at non-Catholic Health hospitals in the area, the network stated.

"It’s unthinkable that St. Catherine would close down crucial maternal child health services, especially at a time where we are facing a nationwide increase in maternal and infant mortality rates," Holly Meduri, a registered nurse at St. Catherine, said. "Our community is no exception. These are healthcare services the community truly depends on. We need to keep these services open to ensure patients get the highest possible quality of care."

Catholic Health said it will have the "appropriate emergency services" available at St. Catherine of Siena.

"Patient safety is our top priority and we will be equipped to ensure that any patient who enters our doors will have access to high-quality services," Catholic Health wrote.

Once a patient and baby are stable, they will be transferred to one of the nearby maternity service hospitals, according to Catholic Health.

The provisional infant mortality rate for the United States in 2022 was 5.60 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, 3% higher than the rate in 2021 (5.44), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The neonatal mortality rate increased 3% from 3.49 to 3.58, and the post-neonatal mortality rate by 4% (from 1.95 to 2.02) from 2021 to 2022.

The nurses association said St. Catherine provides quality care to a growing population of mothers and babies in Smithtown and the surrounding communities and that it serves as the main teaching hospital in the area for new labor and delivery nurses, playing a "critical role" amid a "nurse staffing shortage" nationwide and on Long Island.

"New York State Nurses Association nurses are demanding the hospital reverse its decision and keep these vital services available to all those who depend on it," it wrote.

Catholic Health said it actively tries to recruit new OB-GYNs, but Long Island is a "very competitive market" with the majority of OB-GYN groups already employed with other physician networks. There is also a shortage of OB-GYNs coming out of medical school and wanting to build practices on Long Island, according to Catholic Health.

The association said its nurses plan to speak out at a Thursday community forum in Smithtown required by the New York State Department of Health before hospital service closures can be approved.

The association also launched a petition this week to stop the closure and keep maternal child health services open at St. Catherine of Siena.