A group of medical workers, mothers and even some babies -- all with ties to the Legacy Mount Hood Family Birth Center in Gresham -- met Thursday night to discuss their concerns surrounding the planned closure of the center.
A public meeting at a Biscuits Cafe in Gresham, hosted by Gresham City Council President Sue Piazza, drew a few dozen people. They all came to discuss Legacy Health’s announcement last week that it plans to close the Family Birth Center at the Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center on March 17.
The Oregon Health Authority must approve of the closure before it can be finalized, according to Legacy.
Legacy said it decided to request the closure of the center due to “an unsustainable trend of operating losses that requires us to take urgent action.”
“The Family Birth Center at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center stood out because it maintains a low volume of births with an unusually high-cost care model,” Legacy Health said in a statement.
Multiple medical workers, some of which work at the FBC, spoke to the advantages of having a local facility specialized in child birth rather than relying on Portland hospitals.
“Even if we get all the certifications, even if we get what we need, it will never be what a mother deserves and what she would get at Family Birth,” said Meagan Brunelle, an emergency room nurse.
“Women’s health is essential, and this is an important birthing center for our community, especially if you consider how quickly this area is growing,” said Micah Wilson, who gave birth at the FBC. “You need to have nurses and people that you can trust to make quick decisions when you are out of your mind going through a painful experience.”
The health system also stated on its website that a majority of births in the east metro area do not take place at the FBC.
“What’s important to know about is that 85% of babies born to pregnant people living in this service area deliver at a hospital other than Mount Hood, according to data captured by Apprise Health Insights, a subsidiary of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems,” Legacy Health stated on its website.
Piazza said she will participate in a meeting with other local City Council members, mayors, state lawmakers, and Legacy Health officials. She says avoiding closure, even if it involves a change in management, would best serve east metro cities.
“It could be devastating,” Piazza said. “We need medical equity for the women of this community.”