Burdett Birth Center Saved From Closure

In a huge win for patients and healthcare advocates, St. Peter’s Health Partners withdrew its plan to close the Burdett Birth Center! The Save Burdett Center Coalition led this victory with the full support of NYSNA nurses, labor siblings and community members who organized, spoke out and fought for the healthcare needs of pregnant people, mothers and babies in the capital region. 

NYSNA nurses played a pivotal role in speaking up for Burdett because they knew that this closure would be a disaster for patients and already understaffed and overworked nurses at Ellis Medicine and Albany Medical Center. At various town halls and public events, nurses spoke about seeing firsthand the impact of Columbia Memorial closing its maternity services and warned elected officials and the community about the additional impact that closing the only maternity ward in Rensselaer County would have in a vulnerable community. Because of this victory, Burdett will continue to provide critical access to quality maternity care that capital region residents need and deserve, especially patients of color of low income who suffer disproportionately high maternity and infant mortality rates.

Keeping Burdett Birth Center open is a win for healthcare justice, reproductive justice and racial justice! It’s clear that when the community, patients, nurses and the labor movement come together to stand up to corporate greed, we can save vital services in our communities. When we fight, we win!