Rockville Centre, N.Y.-based Catholic Health is conducting a survey to get community input regarding the planned closure of its Smithtown, N.Y.-based St. Catherine of Siena Hospital maternity ward on Feb. 1.
The health equity impact assessment survey will be conducted by an independent third party as part of the New York State Department of Health's guidelines, a spokesperson for Catholic Health told Becker's in a statement.
"The Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) is a necessary component to meet the Certificate of Need process requirements in New York," the statement said. It will also provide insight into the proposed project’s effects on "accessibility and delivery of services particularly for medically underserved groups."
News of the survey comes after the New York State Nurses Association held a town hall Jan. 18 to speak out against the hospital's planned maternity ward closure.
"The closure of these vital services will have a negative impact on the community, forcing pregnant individuals to travel 30-40 minutes more to other nearby hospitals," the union said in a Jan. 18 news release shared with Becker's. "This significantly increases the risk of adverse events during pregnancy or childbirth."
Community members have until Feb. 1 to respond to the HEIA survey, the spokesperson said.