The Office of Health Strategy (OHS) and Trinity Health of New England to allow the network to permanently close its birthing center at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford. The OHS had , but the agreement stipulates measures to ensure that patients in the hospital’s service area will continue to have access to maternal care. Johnson Memorial’s birthing center had originally closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it never reopened.
Under the terms of the agreement, Johnson Memorial Hospital must continue to provide certain prenatal, postpartum, and wraparound pregnancy services, including help accessing WIC benefits and the Diaper Bank; provide emergency deliveries when necessary; as well as hiring a third party to determine whether a freestanding birthing center is necessary to make up for the loss of the hospital’s own services. If such a determination is made, the hospital will have to build one. “We are committed to prioritizing appropriate community access to high quality, affordable maternal and infant health services,” said OHS Commissioner Dr.
Deidre Gifford. “This agreement permits termination of labor and delivery services at the hospital but holds Johnson Memorial Hospital accountable to the community they serve and to the State of Connecticut for maintaining access to all levels of maternal and infant health care. If an independent analysis indicates that a free-standing birthing center in the area is viable, then Johnson Memorial will need to ensure.
