Rensselaer County leaders express worry over Burdett Birth Center closing plan

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Mary Fran Wachunas handles all things health in Rensselaer County as the Public Health director, but she says she was surprised as anyone to suddenly learn St. Peter’s Health Partners intends to shut down the Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital. 

"[I was] surprised at the fact that St. Peter’s didn’t reach out to public health to tell us what their plans were," she says to NEWS10's Mikhaela Singleton.

A statement from St. Peter’s Health Partners says the system can no longer maintain its maternity services in Troy, citing COVID effects on finances and staffing, as well as the Burdett Center operating at a “substantial loss”. The full statement reads:

The COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on health care, including financial and staffing effects that continue to be felt today. However, even before COVID, maternity services at Samaritan Hospital were operating at a substantial loss. And while St. Peter's Health Partners has made many efforts over the years to preserve those services in Troy, we are unfortunately no longer in a position to do so. 

At this time, a provisional plan has been created to consolidate ambulatory locations – closing maternity services at Samaritan Hospital – while preserving prenatal care in Troy. If the plan is approved, following review by the New York State Department of Health, the maternity unit at Samaritan Hospital would close in approximately four to six months. 

Patients will continue to have access to maternity and neonatal services at Samaritan Hospital until the closure. Looking to the future, patients will have access to nearby maternity and neonatal services including St. Peter’s Hospital, as well as Bellevue Women’s Center, Albany Medical Center, Berkshire Medical Center and Saratoga Hospital. And Samaritan emergency department providers are always at the ready to manage any laboring mothers who may present in the emergency department.

Impacted colleagues who work in labor and delivery and postpartum at Samaritan who are interested in remaining at SPHP are working with our Talent Acquisition team to identify other opportunities within our system of care. 

Samaritan Hospital has been caring for the Troy community for nearly 125 years. While this is a difficult decision, the reality is our hospitals are struggling to remain sustainable and viable. This is a necessary step to ensure and preserve health care in the Troy community well into the future

St. Peter’s Health Partners spokesperson

Wachunas says her first concern is nearby residents—especially those currently pregnant—who relied on Burdett as part of their birthing plan. 

"I worry about people that don’t have transportation that have relied on services in the Troy area and now they would have to go to another county," she says.

A 2022 March of Dimes study reports 36 percent of all U.S. counties are considered "maternity care deserts", and a majority are rural counties. The move to close Burdett could be a double whammy for Rensselaer County being both largely rural and with a high poverty rate in the City of Troy.

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin expressing similar worry as Wachunas, writing in a statement via Facebook:

"We are concerned about the reduction of maternity services at Samaritan, which would leave Rensselaer County without any birthing center. Our residents would be forced to travel at a greater distance to other counties, which could create issues. Rensselaer County is a growing county, and we are seeing significant investment in so many areas of the county. So we are confused as to why it would be necessary to close the only maternity ward in the county with so many positive things going on. We are hopeful Samaritan and the state can develop a reasonable solution that allows the maternity ward at the hospital to remain open. This would affect such a wide area that we cannot see any way for the state to approve the closure."

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin

Wachunas says the area’s birth outcomes already aren’t great, factoring in infant and maternal mortality rates, preterm birth, and many other factors. She worries losing services could push these numbers even further in the wrong direction.

"They may wait until later on in their pregnancy to either when they have complications, or when they’re ready to deliver, and as we all know, that’s not a good birth outcome. And we really don’t want pregnant women to show up at the ER. That’s not appropriate services either," she says.

The St. Peter’s statement says the hospital group still needs approval from the NYS Department of Health, after which closure could happen within four to six months. However, a DOH representative says the hospital system has not yet submitted the necessary paperwork, writing:

An action such as the closing of a maternity center within a hospital would require a closure plan to be submitted to the Department of Health, followed by a Certificate of Need (CON) application. The Department has not received either from St. Peter’s Health Partners regarding the closure of maternity services at Samaritan Hospital and cannot comment further until these items are received and reviewed.

New York State Department of Health

Before Rensselaer County can join the “maternity care desert” total, Wachunas says she plans to pen a letter to DOH Commissioner James McDonald asking for alternatives.

"Sitting down and talking with everyone and putting out, what’s the reasons for the closure or wanting to close, and then what are our other options. Just because there’s services across the river or in Schenectady doesn’t mean that’s the right option," Wachunas says.