Episode Details

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is poised to shut down its birthing center within six to nine months, threatening to leave southern Vermont families without local maternity care. Facing nearly $5 million in projected losses from labor and delivery services alone — and over $14 million in total annual deficits — the hospital’s board has voted to close, despite ongoing talks with state leaders. Staffing shortages and the unsustainable cost of 24/7 obstetric care are accelerating the decision. This isn’t an isolated case: over 130 rural birthing centers have closed since 2020, including Vermont’s Springfield and Copley hospitals. Providers are rallying, warning that closing the center could force patients to travel out of state and leave emergency staff — untrained for childbirth — to handle urgent cases, risking preventable deaths. Though state laws now ease the path to cutting services, the hospital still needs public input — and community voices are urgently needed to save this vital local resource.

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