Albany, N.Y.-based St. Peter's Health Partners has submitted a closure plan for its Troy, N.Y.-based Samaritan Hospital's Burdett Birth Center to the state Department of Health.
The decision comes after St. Peter's received a cease-and-desist letter from the health department ordering against shutting down beds or services at the center.
The certificate of need and closure plan, dated Dec. 21, breaks down the challenges that the center has faced since its inception, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Declining births, low Medicaid payments, and declining referrals, continue to strain the Samaritan maternity service," Kim Baker, senior vice president of St. Peter’s Hospital and Samaritan Hospital, said in a letter attached to the closure plan. "In the recent past, Samaritan might have been able to continue to absorb such losses to preserve the service. But Samaritan and the rest of the health system operated by SPHP are experiencing significant post-COVID financial stress and can no longer absorb maternity service losses of this magnitude."
An ongoing healthcare worker shortage and operating losses were also listed as challenges in the plan, which saw the operation of Samaritan Hospital's 16-bed maternity unit total a $2.7 million loss in fiscal 2023.
"In 2023, Samaritan Hospital and its staff obstetricians had to redirect or transfer expectant mothers to other hospitals due to insufficient staffing at a rate of 46/month," Ms. Baker said in the letter. "By comparison, in 2022, the number of mothers redirected or transferred was only 23/month. In short, the rate of cases moved from Samaritan hospital has doubled."
The closure plan also features stakeholder feedback along with transition plans for maternity care.
"Samaritan/St. Peter's Health Partners will continue to provide 100% of the services to 100% of the patients we're currently serving. The only thing impacted by this decision is the delivery site; all our patients will continue to receive care without interruption," according to the plan.
The department is reviewing documentation from St. Peter's regarding its Burdett Center closure application and has no other updates at this time, a spokesperson for the department told Becker's in a statement.
"While the NYS Department of Health reviews our closure plan, we continue to have discussions with local leaders, government officials, and community members to clarify the work to be done moving forward," a spokesperson for St. Peter's said in a statement shared with Becker's. "Burdett has not been immune to the critical health care challenges hitting hospitals and birthing centers across the country. The situation has only grown more troubling as we enter 2024, with a nationwide shortage of nurses reaching crisis-level proportions."