birthing center at Bon Secours Community Hospital
Our Maternity Unit closed January 20, 2013
The New York State Department of Health gave us permission to close the Maternity Unit at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis as of January 20. Please know this was a difficult decision for us. Naturally, expectant mothers in our community have questions about where to go and what their choices are. We hope to answer those questions for you here.
I’m pregnant. Where will I go to have my baby?
You can have your baby at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, which also offers a Level II neonatal intensive care unit. If youprefer a boutique-hospital experience, we encourage you to visit St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick as another alternative.
Those hospitals are not as close. How will I get there if I have no transportation? What about my family?
As part of our closure agreement, we are giving a $25,000 Community Commitment Grant each year for the next two years to the Port Jervis branch of Middletown Community Health Clinic. Those funds are designated for vouchers to provide patients and their families transportation to and from Orange Regional Medical Center.
What if I’m in labor and there’s no time to get to another hospital?
Although we are no longer providing maternity services, we have emergency room physicians that can assess your needs and if necessary make emergency deliveries. We have designated a private room in our Emergency Department in the event it is needed. Once mom and baby are stable, they will be transferred to an appropriate level of care hospital. Transportation costs for patients and family members will be complimentary when needed.
Change is never easy, but we hope to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone.
