**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, JAN. 11 AT 8AM**
NURSES AND ALLIES SPEAK OUT AGAINST CLOSURE OF MIDWIFERY SERVICES AT NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN ALLEN HOSPITAL
Decision to Close Allen Hospital Midwifery Service Threatens Community Health
Nurse Speak Out for Health Equity, to Keep Vital Maternal Child Health Service Open
Contact: Anna Sterling | anna.sterling@nysna.org | 646-673-0419
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
New York, N.Y.— Last December, NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) announced the closure of midwifery service at NYP Allen Hospital, effective March 3, 2024. This decision poses a threat to the health of the community.
The midwives care for the largely Black and brown communities of Inwood, Washington Heights and the Bronx. NYP’s decision to terminate these vital services at NYP Allen Hospital will contribute to health inequities that Black and brown birthing people already disproportionately face. Most of the NYP Allen midwives live in the community where they work, and some have decades of experience serving this community. Eliminating experienced, community-based midwives will likely have a negative impact on quality care and health equity. New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) is calling on the hospital to maintain these services.
The NYP Allen midwifery service, dating back to 1955, has played a crucial role in providing midwifery care for mothers and babies in these communities. Midwives help to empower patients, which ultimately contributes to healthier communities and helps reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates.
WHO: Nurses of the New York State Nurses Association, and community and labor allies, including Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, New York State Senator Robert Jackson and City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa
WHAT: Speak-out against NewYork-Presbyterian Allen’s termination of midwifery services
WHERE: New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
5141 Broadway, New York, NY 10034
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 11 at 8:00 a.m.
###
The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.
