Visit www.birthcenter.org for more information, to join a letter
writing campaign, and to sign an online petition. If anyone has any
ideas on how to keep this center from closing, please reply to my post
or email me. Thanks.
Press Release: Elizabeth Seton Birthing Center to Close Due to Crisis
in Malpractice Insurance
New York, NY, August 13, 2003 -- The Elizabeth Seton Birthing Center,
which is affiliated with St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, announced
this week the closure of the center effective September 1, 2003.
Elizabeth Seton Childbearing Center (ESCbC), formerly the birth center
at the Maternity Center Association -- the first free-standing birth
center in the country -- is being forced to close after almost 30
years of service as a result of the current malpractice insurance
crisis in the United States.
As a result of having no malpractice insurance, ESCbC can no longer
deliver babies at the center as of September 1st, 2003. Letters were
sent to every patient informing them of the closure. The birth center
staff is in the process of making phone calls to all clients to assist
with them with transitioning their care to St. Vincent's Hospital
Manhattan or exploring alternative obstetrical care.
ESCbC was notified by its insurance carrier approximately three weeks
ago that its policy, which expires August 31, 2003, would not be
renewed. After extensive research it was discovered that options
offered by other carriers were either inadequate, required excessive
premiums or unavailable. This situation is not unique to ESCbC and has
been experienced by other birth centers, midwives and obstetricians
throughout the region.
Historically, ESCbC has provided not just prenatal care, but care to
women throughout their life span. The birth center's philosophy is
based on the principle that women have the right to health care that
is safe, fits their lifestyle, and recognizes and respects their
individual, physical, social, spiritual, psychological and economic
needs.
As a free-standing birth center, ESCbC is housed in a space which
includes exam rooms, multi-purpose rooms (for education and community
services) and home-like birthing rooms in a building separate from St.
Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, the affiliate hospital. The birth center
is a not-for-profit corporation organized under New York State law and
sponsored by Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers. It is
responsible for over 400 deliveries annually.
Clinical care at ESCbC is provided by a group of Certified Nurse
Midwives, a Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nurses. Consultants such
as physicians, social workers, lactation consultants and other
alternative care providers enhance the care provided.
The services offered at ESCbC include: well-woman gynecology, prenatal
care, natural childbirth with water-birth option, postpartum care,
childbirth education, and a wide variety of community centered
activities (mother's meetings, support groups, prenatal yoga classes
etc.)
This closure is a situation that is not unique to the Elizabeth Seton
Birthing Center, and has been experienced by other birthing centers in
the city and region due to the escalating costs of malpractice
insurance.
The staff of ESCbC is very proud of the many years of holistic,
respectful and empowering woman's health care that has been provided
in this setting. They are deeply saddened for its clients and feel a
great sense of personal loss.