FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023
Contact: Anna Sterling | press@nysna.org | 646-673-0419
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
NURSES DEMAND ST. CATHERINE KEEP MATERNAL CHILD HEALTH SERVICES OPEN
St. Catherine Terminating Vital Services Amid National Maternal and Infant Mortality Crisis
Nurses are Calling on Hospital to Immediately Reverse Course
Smithtown, N.Y.— In December, St. Catherine of Siena hospital administrators abruptly announced they would be terminating maternal child health services, effective February 1st. This move will negatively impact families throughout the surrounding community, who depend on the labor and delivery, NICU, and other maternal health services at this hospital.
Minutes matter when there is a life-or-death pregnancy issue or a critically ill baby. If these services close, the nearest hospitals are a 30–40-minute drive away. Added travel time to give birth increases the risk of adverse events for pregnant people.
St. Catherine provides quality care to a growing population of mothers and babies in Smithtown and the surrounding communities. It also serves as the main teaching hospital in the area for new labor and delivery nurses, playing a critical role amid a nurse staffing shortage nationwide and on Long Island.
New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses are demanding the hospital reverse its decision and keep these vital services available to all those who depend on it.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said: "The abrupt termination of maternal child health services by St. Catherine of Siena Hospital is an alarming decision that endangers the well-being of families in our community. In critical situations, minutes matter, and the closure of these units puts pregnant individuals and critically ill infants at heightened risk. St. Catherine needs to reverse this decision and preserve these essential healthcare services for the sake of the community's health and future generations."
NYSNA nurses plan to speak out at a Jan. 18 community forum in Smithtown required by the New York State Department of Health before hospital service closures can be approved. The nurses encourage concerned community members to attend the forum and make their voices heard. NYSNA also launched a petition this week to stop the closure and keep maternal child health services open at St. Catherine of Siena.
Holly Meduri, RN at St. Catherine, said: "It’s unthinkable that St. Catherine would close down crucial maternal child health services, especially at a time where we are facing a nationwide increase in maternal and infant mortality rates. Our community is no exception. These are healthcare services the community truly depends on. We need to keep these services open to ensure patients get the highest possible quality of care."
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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.
