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Mass. DPH requests plan from MetroWest Medical Center on proposed cuts to birthing services, Framingham director says
Summary
Health director Bill Lehi said the Massachusetts Department of Public Health asked MetroWest Medical Center to submit a plan evaluating how proposed birthing service cuts would affect access and staffing, following a public hearing that included testimony from Dr. Valente.
Bill Lehi, Framingham’s health director, told the Board of Health on May 13 that after a Department of Public Health hearing the state requested MetroWest Medical Center produce a plan detailing how the hospital would meet service-area needs if it cuts birthing services.
Lehi said the letter requires the hospital to describe travel times to alternate hospitals, identify where patients would receive care if services are cut, and address community concerns about staffing and facility adequacy. He said the plan must be submitted to the Department of Public Health for evaluation.
Lehi thanked Dr. Valente for her testimony at the hearing, calling it “very impactful.” He said the department will keep the board informed as the hospital develops the plan and when public access to the plan is available.
No formal board action was recorded on the MetroWest issue at the May 13 meeting.
