Kirkland, Wash.-based EvergreenHealth Medical Center may change the name of its family maternity center after staff members said "maternity" excludes pregnant people who do not identify as women.
"It has come to leadership's attention from both staff and patients that our name, Family Maternity Center, does not emanate inclusivity," reads a memo obtained March 25 by Becker's. "People who identify as women give birth. People who identify outside the gender binary give birth. People with nontraditional family structures give birth. Not all our birthing patients identify as moms or with maternity care."
The hospital said it will continue to facilitate conversations about the center's name, though no decisions have been made about changing its name.
"We continue to listen intently to the many perspectives voiced by our staff, patients and community members on this topic, as interest in this issue has grown and as a public hospital district accountable to serving our community’s best interests," the hospital said in a statement shared with Becker's. "Our mission guides us to serve our community with safe, compassionate, high-quality care and we are committed to working collaboratively on this issue in ways that reflect our organizational values."