STATE HOUSE – In response to Brown University Health’s assertion that it needs $4.9 million to keep Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center open, today Rep. Lauren H. Carson introduced legislation to establish a fund for that purpose, with numerous restrictions aimed at ensuring the center remains fully operational and that it operates with transparency and community input.
“If Brown Health needs $4.9 million to keep the birthing center open, this fund is a way to provide that money. But if we’re committing any state funding, it has to come with strings attached. It’s not a blank check,” said Representative Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport), who has been a leader in the community in the effort to keep the birthing center open. “Above all else, it must be contingent on keeping the birthing center open and fully staffed without any reduction in services. Second, there must be public accountability, transparency and inclusion of the community in oversight of the birthing center, particularly with respect to planning and strengthening it for its future. That’s what we’ve been asking for ever since it was announced that Brown Health was considering closing the birthing center, and if public money is being used, it’s a requirement.”
The legislation would establish the Noreen Drexel Birthing Center Fund, to be administered by the Newport Hospital Foundation exclusively to support birthing services at Newport Hospital.
Under the bill, one third of the $4.9 million funding for fiscal year 2027 — $1.63 million — would come from the state’s general fund, one third would have to come from Brown University Health, and the final third would need to be raised through philanthropy.
The legislation establishes numerous conditions that must be met by Brown Health as a condition of receiving the funds, including several related to maintaining the current levels of staffing and services, some establishing reporting requirements about how the fund is used, and some requiring that Brown University Health engage in meaningful community oversight and planning.
The bill requires specifically stipulates that Brown Health create a “whole community council” with representation from stakeholders including elected officials, the Newport Hospital Foundation and representatives of community-based organizations. That council is to meet at least quarterly to review findings on outcomes, quality, safety and financial data of the birthing unit and to plan for its future.
As the bill states, “This ensures decisions are broadly supported, collaborative, and positions the community both for input and to help with any required fundraising or advocacy to insure the sustainability of the Birthing Center. The Birthing Center is an owned entity of Brown University Health, but it is also community resource and should be treated that way.”
The bill also requires that within a year, in conjunction with the community, Brown Health develop a sustainability plan for the birthing center to build a state-of-the-art women’s and maternal healthcare facility.
“What I’m aiming for with this bill is that we ensure that we aren’t here again in a year trying to close some funding gap that we don’t even have any information about. We need transparency, genuine inclusion of our community and a strategy for the birthing center’s future that ensures its development into a truly spectacular facility,” said Representative Carson.