The Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital will remain open, the hospital announced Friday — but its future depends on securing $4.9 million in sustained new annual funding from state and philanthropic sources.
The announcement caps months of intense community advocacy that began last summer when Brown University Health first signaled the center could face closure due to financial pressures. Newport residents rallied in large numbers, the City Council passed a resolution urging the center remain open, and state leaders including Gov. Dan McKee publicly pressed Brown University Health to preserve the service. The hospital subsequently formed a Community Advisory Panel and engaged consulting firm Kaufman Hall to conduct an independent review.
In a statement Friday, Newport Hospital President Dr. Tenny Thomas said the Community Advisory Panel members who were briefed on the news are supportive of keeping the center open while Brown University Health pursues additional funding.
“Throughout this process, we have remained committed to transparency and to listening closely to our community,” Thomas said. “I am deeply grateful to its members for their time, guidance, advocacy, and partnership.”
According to the hospital, the Kaufman Hall review found that the birthing center delivers safe, quality care backed by strong clinical commitment and around-the-clock obstetric, pediatric and anesthesia coverage. The review also identified areas needing focused attention, including workforce sustainability, readiness for high-acuity, low-frequency events and operational reliability in a low-volume setting.
“The independent review affirmed the quality and safety of care delivered by our clinical teams and outlined the additional investments needed to ensure the program remains strong and financially sustainable,” Thomas said. “State and philanthropic investments are essential to improving care across Rhode Island and maintaining quality local services, such as the birthing center. The call to action is that we need the support and advocacy of our community and policymakers to secure these resources so we can continue providing essential care close to home.”
Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Newport, one of the center’s most vocal advocates, welcomed the news but signaled that her work on the issue is far from over.
“Clearly, this is a wonderful day for Newport and Newport County,” Carson said. “I want to thank Brown Health for stepping up and really making a decision about keeping the birthing center. That has become such an important issue for my constituents in Newport, Jamestown, Middletown, Portsmouth, all across Newport County.”
Carson said the Coalition to Save the Birthing Center, of which she is a member, intends to shift its focus toward growing the center’s services. “I think it’s time to transition our work together to make sure that this center actually grows,” she said. “We look forward to working with them. We do have some questions about whether this is a long term decision or a short term decision and what they’re actually thinking. We appreciate their transparency at this time and we really encourage them to engage the community more and more as we move through the next phase of keeping the birthing center open.”
Carson confirmed that the coalition’s planned lobby day at the Rhode Island State House — scheduled for Thursday, April 9 at 3 p.m. — will proceed as planned, as will her legislation requiring a rigorous review process before any birthing center could be closed or have services reduced.
Lindsay Cutler, executive director of Newport Partnership for Families and a member of the Coalition for Newport Hospital Birthing Center, also welcomed the news while cautioning that more work lies ahead.
“This decision reflects the power of community advocacy and affirms what we have long known: the birthing center is an essential resource for Newport and surrounding communities,” Cutler said in a statement Friday. “At the same time, more work remains. Long-term sustainability for the birthing center will require a clear plan, sustained investment, and meaningful community input, alongside strong collaboration with Brown University Health and state leaders.”
Cutler encouraged community members to join the coalition at the State House on April 9 to support legislation H8203, H7272 and H7626, aimed at strengthening and safeguarding maternal healthcare access.
Newport Fire Chief Humphrey “Harp” Donnelly also weighed in on Friday’s announcement in a letter to the editor, which you can read here.
The center, named for Newport philanthropist Noreen Stonor Drexel, has been a focal point of community concern since last summer when Brown University Health cited $138 million in Medicaid losses over two years and identified the birthing center among programs under review. Community members, nurses, physicians, elected officials and advocacy groups responded with rallies, petitions and public testimony to preserve what Carson had previously called “an umbilical cord to safe maternal care for families and a cornerstone of equitable health care access in our region.”
