New York City-based New York-Presbyterian's Allen Hospital launched a revamped midwifery program following outcry from the community and nurses, PoliticoPro reported March 7.
The hospital announced its midwifery services would be shuttered March 3. The decision to close the hospital's midwifery services was part of a plan to evolve its perinatal care model and care teams, a spokesperson for NewYork-Presbyterian told Becker's in a statement.
Nurses, community members and elected officials gathered outside the hospital to voice their opinion after the service closure was announced.
On March 4, the hospital launched the new program that will include six midwives and a nurse practitioner, the report said. It will be run by the New York City-based Columbia University medical school, which is affiliated with New York-Presbyterian. Currently, four midwives and the nurse practitioner have been hired. The new staff replaced the old programs staffers who took other positions.
"The new program is part of a significant, ongoing investment to upgrade labor and delivery services and facilities at the hospital," New York-Presbyterian spokesperson Angela Smith Karafazli said in a statement to PoliticoPro. "These changes and investments are aimed at both improving care and reducing disparities in maternal health outcomes."