Midwife Service Removal Decried At Inwood's Allen Hospital

INWOOD, NY — Healthcare providers and electeds on Thursday said New York-Presbyterian's move to eliminate midwifery services from its Inwood hospital is a massive "blow" to an already vulnerable patient population.

In a Change.org petition and rally outside the hospital Thursday, nurses said the decision to discontinue the hospital's existing midwifery services effective March 3 was hasty and poorly justified — and will leave many patients without adequate care.

"We will now be faced with the imminent loss of decades of invaluable midwifery service experience," said Ingrid Deler-Garcia, who has been a midwife for 33 years. "The community has historically relied on midwives to provide compassionate and holistic care, particularly for the brown and Black individuals."

"We have been the lifeline of many."

The hospital's existing midwifery program, which has been around for over 50 years and includes six midwives, will discontinue on March 3 as part of an effort to evolve its perinatal care model, a representative of New York-Presbyterian Hospitals told Patch.

A hospital representative said the decision will only benefit patients by increasing their access to better care and high-quality clinicians, according to the representative.

"This is part of a broader commitment and investment that will enhance perinatal services and the overall patient experience at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, now and into the future," a representative said in a statement.

But nurses contend that the decision will leave many vulnerable patients hanging in the balance — especially in the absence of a strong backup plan.

"We were given a mere month and three weeks to navigate this upheaval... with no clear plan for our future or the future of care for our patients," said Maureen McCarthy, a midwife.

The risk is further intensified given Allen Hospital already faces personnel retention problems and already stretched-thin hospital staff, according to the Change.org petition.

"The Bronx and Upper Manhattan live perpetually at the crosshairs of divestments," said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa.

"With midwifery services here at the Allen, there was a sense of security. There was that security blanket that told you, 'you got this,'" De La Rosa said.

The Nurses Association urged New York-Presbyterian to reconsider its decision immediately.

"The Allen is a community hospital. That was why it was built, that is the mission of this hospital, and midwifery services are at the heart of this community."