Community members will still rally tonight to support the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital, even after Brown University Health announced today the facility will not close in the upcoming fiscal year.
The “Moms Over Margins Rally” is scheduled for 6 p.m. today on the lawn outside Newport City Hall on Broadway, with organizers saying the event will proceed as planned.
In a letter to employees today, Brown University Health President and CEO John Fernandez said the birthing center “remains in the FY26 budget and is not currently scheduled to close,” but warned “its long-term future will be evaluated over the next year.”
The announcement comes after intense community pressure, including a unanimous Newport City Council resolution and advocacy from state legislators. Nearly 500 babies were born at the facility last year, with more than 300 births recorded there so far in 2025.
Fernandez said the health system will form a task force to “conduct a review of our labor and delivery services at Newport Hospital — assessing quality, safety, access, finances, operations, community and statewide impact.” The task force will include input from community leaders, donors, nurses, physicians and others.
Gov. Dan McKee praised the decision in a statement today, saying his administration had been “advocating behind the scenes for some time” to keep the center open.
“After my conversation today with Brown University Health CEO John Fernandez, I am happy to report that the Birthing Center will not be cut from the organization’s FY26 budget,” McKee said.
Aquidneck Island’s House delegation also expressed relief at the announcement. Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Newport, thanked “the thousands of people that signed the petition to keep it open and the moms across Aquidneck Island that stood up to keep the center open.”
The birthing center was one of seven programs Brown Health identified in May for potential cuts or closures due to financial pressures. Fernandez cited $138 million in Medicaid losses over two years and said the health system has not achieved its target 3% operating margin over the past decade.
While recent state advocacy secured $23 million in increased support, Fernandez said that falls short of the $270 million statewide proposal the health system had sought to address underfunding.
Tonight’s rally will feature Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi among scheduled speakers, along with Newport City Council members Stephanie Smyth, Xay Khamsyvoravong and Ellen Pinnock. Medical professionals and community advocates are also expected to speak.
The birthing center, named for Newport philanthropist Noreen Stonor Drexel, earned the World Health Organization and UNICEF “Baby Friendly” designation in 2004 for its excellence in supporting breastfeeding by new mothers.
For more information about tonight’s rally, contact Stephanie Smyth at steph.smyth18@gmail.com or (401) 318-1132.
