Five Aquidneck Island state representatives are urging Brown University Health to reconsider its proposal to close the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital, warning the move would create “devastating” consequences for families across Newport County.
Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-District 75, Newport) led the effort, drafting a letter sent today and signed by fellow representatives Terri Cortvriend (D-District 72, Middletown, Portsmouth), Michelle McGaw (D-District 71, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton), Marvin L. Abney (D-District 73, Newport, Middletown), and Alex S. Finkelman (D-District 74, Jamestown, Middletown).
The letter, addressed to Brown University Health Executive Vice President Sarah Frost and Newport Hospital President Dr. Tenny Thomas, comes as the health system considers shuttering the birthing center as part of its fiscal 2026 budget proposal, with a decision expected by the end of September.
“To close a birthing center whose excellence is internationally recognized would be a devastating blow to public health in general, and it would cause immense hardship and risk for young families, women and infants on Aquidneck Island,” Carson said in a statement.
Brown University Health, Rhode Island’s first health system founded in 1994, operates as a comprehensive, integrated academic health system that includes Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Bradley Hospital, Newport Hospital, Gateway Healthcare, Saint Anne’s Hospital, Morton Hospital, and Brown Health Medical Group, in partnership with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The health system has not responded to What’sUpNewp’s requests for comment regarding the proposed closure.
The legislative push follows strong community opposition that culminated in a packed Newport City Council meeting last week. On July 15, approximately 200 residents and healthcare providers filled City Hall as the council unanimously passed a resolution calling for the center to remain open. Carson and Rep. Abney attended that emotional meeting, where dozens of mothers and healthcare workers shared personal stories about the facility’s life-saving impact.
Newport City Council unanimously passes resolution urging Brown Health to keep birthing center open
The birthing center, which opened in 1995 and was named after Newport philanthropist Noreen Stonor Drexel following her substantial financial contribution, earned the prestigious “Baby Friendly” designation from the World Health Organization and UNICEF in 2004 for its excellence in supporting breastfeeding by new mothers.
Carson emphasized the particular challenges closure would create for vulnerable populations, including low-income families and those without reliable transportation who would be forced to travel off-island for prenatal and postnatal care.
“For the many low-income families on our island, especially those without cars, having to travel 35 miles for care is a tremendous challenge, particularly for those who already have other young children,” she said. “We’re going to see many who need to call an ambulance when they are in labor, and more instances of people giving birth on the road to a distant hospital.”
The legislators specifically highlighted the needs of hundreds of young families living at Newport Naval Station who rely on the center’s services.
According to Rebecca Clark, a nurse who has worked at the birthing center for 25 years, the facility handles approximately 50 births per month and serves around 1,200 outpatients annually. At the City Council meeting, she warned of the dangers of closing a facility that sees “four and five and six and seven and eight different patients come in unexpectedly almost on a daily basis.”
Even as legislators fight to keep Newport’s birthing center open, other hospitals are already positioning themselves to serve displaced patients. South County Health reached out to What’sUpNewp today, offering its services to Newport County families and touting its 5-star Healthgrades ratings for both vaginal and cesarean deliveries.
“With the closure of Newport County’s only birthing center—a major loss for expecting families in the area, I wanted to make sure you are aware that South County Health is here as a trusted community resource and is actively accepting new patients,” wrote Sarah Toatley, the hospital’s communications specialist.
However, South County Hospital is located 19 miles from Newport Hospital—a 24-minute drive that still requires expectant mothers to leave Aquidneck Island for care, underscoring the access concerns raised by the legislators.
In their letter, the representatives pointed to recent state budget actions designed to support struggling hospitals, including $38 million above the governor’s proposal for hospital reimbursement rates and direct support payments, plus more than $40 million in additional primary care reimbursement funding.
“Clearly, we are hearing your concerns and working to address them,” the letter states. “Now we are asking you to hear us: we are urging you to maintain the full operation of the Birthing Center.”
The representatives are requesting Brown University Health hold a public hearing on Aquidneck Island in August to allow community members to voice their concerns directly to health system leadership—something notably absent from last week’s City Council meeting, where neither Frost nor Thomas attended despite the overwhelming community turnout.
Carol Bazarsky, chair of the Newport Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees, who did attend the July 15 meeting, assured residents that no final decision has been made and that the community would have another opportunity to be heard before any closure.
Carson characterized the potential closure as “penny-wise, pound-foolish approach to managing health resources” that would harm tens of thousands of Newport County residents.
The controversy has highlighted broader concerns about healthcare access in island communities. Several speakers at last week’s meeting warned that losing birthing services could strain the city’s Fire and Rescue Department, whose ambulances would increasingly be called upon to transport expectant mothers off-island during time-sensitive emergencies.
The birthing center’s potential closure comes as healthcare systems nationwide face financial pressures, though the Rhode Island General Assembly has taken steps in its 2026 budget to address some of these challenges through increased funding for hospitals and primary care providers.
