Dozens of women scheduled to give birth at Victory Memorial Hospital this holiday season had to find alternate sources of care weeks, even days, before giving birth.
Without a staff, the Bay Ridge hospital prematurely shut down its labor and delivery unit last Friday — 10 days earlier than the original Dec. 31 date that was listed on employees’ termination letters.
Residents of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst are already worried about Victory’s projected Feb. 1 closing date.
But the closing of the labor and delivery unit brings that harsh reality into sharper focus. The Department of Health has yet to present a contingency plan to replace the century-old institution, though the emergency room will remain open a while longer, state officials have said.
“It’s outrageous to put the burden on the community and hospital to find alternatives,” said Nisha Agarwal, staff attorney for New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.
About 40 women expected to deliver at Victory were notified in writing that they should deliver at Brooklyn Hospital Center in Fort Greene, at least an hour away by car.
Lillie Mae Mieles is one of these women. Although her delivery due date isn’t until April, she said she would do anything to keep the hospital open because she was so impressed with the nursery and staff.
“They recognized me instantly when I came back with my second pregnancy,” said Mieles.
Many labor and delivery staffers have been there 30 years or more.
“We are like a family in the maternity ward,” said Sakibeh Mustafa, an outreach coordinator. If there is one thing Victory Memorial will be remembered for, it will be its birthing center.
“Almost everyone in the neighborhood can trace himself back to that hospital,” said Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge), who was born at the hospital, as was his colleague in the state Senate, Marty Golden.
“In many ways, Victory was seen as ‘the Baby Hospital.’”
Gentile said the closing of the maternity ward would make it tougher for hospital supporters to keep the ER open beyond June, when the hospital loses its license.
“If the perception is that everything is shutting down over there, it’ll be hard to hold onto the emergency room,” he said.
The saga of Victory’s closure began in 2006, when the hospital filed for bankruptcy protection. Shortly thereafter, a state commission recommended that Victory Memorial — and eight others in the state — be shut down.
That official closing is on Feb. 1. Meanwhile, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Concerned Citizens of Southwest Brooklyn have been trying to work with the Department of Health to find a viable solution for the community’s health care needs.
Hospital advocates did propose a plan that worked for the community — a takeover by SUNY Downstate Medical Center — but it was rejected by the state in November as doing little to shore up Victory’s shaky finances.
Brooklyn Hospital Center has been doing its best to accommodate these new arrivals — giving the women and their families tours of the maternity ward and promising vouchers for taxis if they can’t make it by car.
But these soon-to-be mothers have depended on Victory Memorial for much more than adequate care for their newborn babies. Mustafa said many of the women who don’t know English have relied on the translation services Victory Memorial has provided.
For others, it’s better care.
Mieles, who lives in Coney Island, happily drives a longer distance to Victory Memorial because she prefers it over Coney Island Hospital.
Since malpractice lawsuits are so high in this field of medicine, it’s difficult to find a hospital with a women’s health department, said Dr. Leonard Emma, a gynecologist at Victory.
In the meantime, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest will be putting even more pressure on state officials to straighten out Victory Memorial’s future, and prevent any more stressful situations for its patients.
“This has certainly taken the joy of having a baby away,” said Mustafa.
