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Doctors and advisory board urge county action after plan to close Memorial Hospital pediatric ward
Summary
Local pediatricians, health board members and advocates told the Board of Supervisors that Providence’s plan to close the inpatient pediatric ward at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital threatens timely care for vulnerable children and called on the county to convene stakeholders for a public, collaborative solution.
Multiple pediatricians, public‑health advisors and county advisory board members urged the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 9 to press Providence and state officials for a transparent plan after reports that Memorial Hospital will eliminate its inpatient pediatric ward.
Dr. Deborah Britt, a pediatrician who has worked at Memorial since 1987, and Catherine Beresford of the Sonoma County Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board told supervisors that the planned closure would force about 250 to 400 children a year to be transferred to Marin, Oakland or San Francisco, potentially creating treatment delays during peak respiratory seasons. “If a disaster occurs with one child, we’ll all wish we had done more,” Dr. Britt said.
Members of the county advisory board and pediatric clinicians urged a collaborative county‑led process involving Providence, the Department of Health Services, local pediatricians and other stakeholders. They said communications to date have been opaque and urged the board to use its political leverage to insist on robust stakeholder engagement rather than leaving planning solely to Providence.
Board members thanked the advocates for speaking and said staff would carry the concerns forward. No formal motion or board directive to compel Providence was recorded in the meeting minutes beyond the public requests for staff to convene relevant parties and look for collaborative solutions.
Next steps: Public speakers asked the board to initiate a multi‑stakeholder process and explore any available funding, partnerships and accountability tied to community benefit obligations. The board did not announce a formal directive with timelines during the meeting.
