A NY hospital tried to close its birthing center. This city united to fight back
Residents and local officials in Troy, New York, successfully united to protest the closure of the city's last remaining hospital birthing center. The community effort transcended political divides to ensure critical medical services remained accessible to local families.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing trend of community activism against the consolidation of healthcare systems that prioritize corporate efficiency over local patient access.
TROY, N.Y. — Like many residents of this aging industrial city on the Hudson River, Starletta Washington was stunned when she heard Troy's last remaining hospital planned to close its birthing center.
"It was devastating," said Washington, who heads the local YWCA. Washington was born at the hospital and had her children there. She couldn't believe families would now have to get to a hospital half an hour away or face the prospect of an emergency delivery.
"Nobody else was going to be born in the city of Troy unless they were born on a city bus, in the back of a cab, or, disgustingly, on the side of the street?" Washington said. "Blew my mind."
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