“This is only a one-year plan. There’s more to do on this. The community needs to stay active and that’s what I will be encouraging them to do.”

This story was originally published in Rhode Island Current, a publication partner of Ocean State Stories. 

NEWPORT — Organizers of a rally in front of Newport City Hall Tuesday night to push for the continued operation of the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital are in a cautiously celebratory mood after the hospital’s operator committed to keeping it open for the next year.

The labor and delivery unit at Newport Hospital remains funded in Brown University Health’s fiscal 2026 budget and is not scheduled to close, according to an update provided earlier Tuesday by the health system’s leader.

But a task force will evaluate the labor and delivery unit’s long-term future over the next year, Brown University Health CEO John Fernandez said. The task force will be looking to assess quality, safety, access, finances, operations, community and statewide impact. 

“We are committed to providing first-class services at Newport Hospital,” Fernandez said in a statement. “This task force will include input from community leaders, donors, nurses, physicians, and others.”

Brown University Health did not immediately respond to an inquiry seeking details about the task force, its membership and a timeline for its work.

“We’re happy for this win, but we’re ready to fight for the continued longevity of the birthing center,” said Brooke Cure, co-founder of Moms Over Margins, which organized a rally scheduled for 6 p.m. in front of Newport City Hall. 

The event was moved from its original location on the grounds of the Great Friends Meeting House at Farewell Street and Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard, which offers little shade on a day when temperatures climbed into the high 80s. Supporters were encouraged to bring signs and wear purple for maternal health. 

Cure, a Newport resident, had her 21-month-old son Thatcher at Newport Hospital. 

“I truly felt like the women who were taking care of me at the birthing center, the OB, the nurses and the midwife that I had, I felt like a daughter, a sister, a friend,” Cure said. “The level of care felt so personal that it would be outrageous to close the center.”

The Newport City Council was able to meet with Brown University Health leadership in groups over a few separate meetings and had been expecting an update on the birthing center this week, Councilor Xay Khamsyvoravong said.

“This is an ideal outcome for us at this point in time,” Khamsyvoravong said. 

Fernandez outlined the challenges facing Brown University Health, which he said has been unable to achieve its 3% operating margin goals over the past decade. Revenues have not kept pace with rising costs for pharmaceuticals, supplies, equipment and labor costs and Medicaid losses reached nearly $138 million in the last two years alone, he added.

“To ensure we can continue to meet the community’s needs for critical patient services, we must act decisively,” Fernandez said. “This means growing revenues, controlling costs, and achieving operational excellence.” 

Recent advocacy efforts secured $23 million in increased support to Brown Health, significantly short of the proposal we made to the state that would have yielded closer to $270 million statewide, Fernandez said. 

“If this underfunding is not addressed within the next one to two years, we will be forced to further reduce patient services, an outcome which is unacceptable to us at Brown Health and is a step we are determined to avoid,” he stated.

Newport City Councilor Ellen Pinnock said she would be willing to be a member of the task force, which she anticipated would have a large number of members representing all the municipalities served by the hospital and include advocates, medical professionals and community leaders.

“I think today’s rally is more of like cautious optimism because we still have some work to do to find a permanent solution,” Pinnnock said.

Rep. Lauren H. Carson, a Newport Democrat, drafted a July 21 letter to Brown University Health voicing strong opposition to the possible closure of the birthing center. It was signed by her and fellow Aquidneck Island representatives Terri Cortvriend and Michelle McGaw of Portsmouth; Marvin L. Abney of Newport and Alex Finkelman of Jamestown. Carson urged hospital and Brown University Health leaders to keep the birthing center open, and to meet with the public locally before any decision is made.

“We’re happy,” Carson said of Brown University Health’s decision Tuesday. “The community of Newport is really excited tonight. Many people in town worked very hard, very hard.”

The advocacy effort included resolutions supporting the birthing center passed by the Newport City Council and the Jamestown and Portsmouth town councils and an online petition drive that has received over 3,000 signatures.

“This is only a one-year plan. There’s more to do on this. The community needs to stay active and that’s what I will be encouraging them to do,” Carson said.

In a statement, Gov. Dan McKee said he spoke with Fernandez earlier Tuesday and learned that community members would be involved with the task force.

“My administration has been advocating behind the scenes for some time to keep the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center open for the families of Newport County,” McKee said. “This is excellent news for a concerned community who, like my administration, prioritizes issues of women’s health. When it comes to childbirth, the time, access, and expertise the Birthing Center provides to Newport County are essential.”

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi was originally scheduled to speak at Tuesday night’s rally but will not attend.