The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has organized three community meetings to allow the public to comment on Memorial Hospital's proposal to cease providing inpatient obstetrics services.
The community meetings will be held on the following dates and at the following locations March 14th (Goff Junior High School - Vine Street entrance, 974 Newport Avenue, Pawtucket; 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM); March 16th (Woodlawn Community Center, 210 West Avenue, Pawtucket; 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM); March 17th (Segue Institute for Learning - Hedley Avenue entrance, 325 Cowden Street, Central Falls; 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM).
Memorial Hospital has been notified that obstetrical services must remain open, fully staffed, and fully functional until a decision has been made by RIDOH on the proposal.
In addition to attending these meetings, the public can email comments to RIDOH or submit comments via postal mail. Comments will be accepted through March 25th. More information about how to email or mail comments to RIDOH can be found at: www.health.ri.gov/memorial
Memorial Hospital notified RIDOH on March 2nd of its proposal to cease providing inpatient obstetrics services, and to transfer those services to Women & Infants Hospital and Kent County Memorial Hospital. When a healthcare facility proposes a reduction in services such as this, a process called a Reverse Certificate of Need is used by RIDOH to review the proposal and evaluate how the changes would impact patients and the community. Public comments are being collected and considered as part of the Reverse Certificate of Need process.
More information about Memorial Hospital's proposal and the Reverse Certificate of Need process is available online.