SHELTON, Conn — Wednesday brought a big victory for thousands of families in Litchfield County. Sharon Hospital’s labor and delivery unit is staying open, at least for now. But the fight isn’t over yet and many challenges lie ahead.
The state Office of Health Strategy has issued a ruling forcing Sharon Hospital’s birthing unit to stay open, but the hospital said that does nothing to solve the problem that they are bleeding money and having trouble recruiting doctors.
Many said a crisis of care was narrowly avoided.
“It was really the best news possible,” remarked Howard Mortman, M.D., an OBGYN.
Doctor Mortman has been delivering babies at Sharon Hospital for the last 20 years. He’s now at the front of the fight to keep labor and delivery open.
“What you can’t forget is that life is priceless. One life. And we are talking about the lives of many," said Mortman.
The decision comes after the state found hospital operator Nuvance Health failed to meet five of the eight criteria needed to approve closure.
“Whether it’s state, federal, or local. We are paying very close attention to what they are doing,” remarked state Comptroller Sean Scanlon.
Nuvance has until September 18 to appeal the state ruling. The Connecticut Hospital Association issued a statement on the matter that reads in part, “…staffing shortages, decrease in births, and skyrocketing temporary worker costs are serious challenges. Ignoring them doesn’t make the challenges go away.”
But the alternative would have meant a 40-minute drive to the nearest birthing center. Carita Gardiner of Lakeville knows the dangers of that.
“I had two daughters here. One of them, it would have been bad if we had to go further to get to a different hospital. She had the cord wrapped around her neck so it was great that we were right here, seven minutes away,” said Gardiner.
Across Connecticut, four hospitals have either recently closed or are proposing to shut down labor and delivery. Nationwide, 54% of rural communities have no access to maternal healthcare.
“The zip code that you live in should not dictate the kind of care you receive when it comes to healthcare and far too often in Connecticut, especially in our rural areas, that is the case,” explained Scanlon.
Some doctors tell FOX61 that Connecticut can do better to attract specialty physicians, who right now, have to purchase their own malpractice insurance.
Some said there has been a shift in healthcare to put money ahead of patient care. 20 years ago there were 30 independent hospitals in Connecticut. Now there are only four.
Sharon Hospital has also proposed shutting down its intensive care unit. A decision on that will come from the state in a separate ruling in about another month.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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