Coalition forms to fight BMH Birthing Center closure

The effort is being called the Birthing Center Response Team and was announced Friday.

A new local coalition has launched a fundraising and advocacy push aimed at keeping the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Birthing Center operating, after hospital directors voted Wednesday to begin a process that could end services in six-to-nine months.

The effort, announced Friday, is being called the Birthing Center Response Team. Organizers said the plan brings together business, civic and government leaders to raise money, press for state action and build public support before the closure timeline advances any further. They argued that the coming months offer a chance to protect a service they described as vital to the town and the wider region.

The hospital board said the planned shutdown would be driven by ongoing financial losses and the need for major outside support. In response, coalition members said they believe the center can still be preserved if resources are secured quickly and policy changes are pursued in Montpelier.

The group is tied to Next Generation Brattleboro, a civic partnership focused on strengthening the local economy and attracting more young families and working-age residents to Greater Brattleboro. Its members include the town of Brattleboro, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, Brattleboro Regional Chamber of Commerce and Windham County state legislators.

Town Manager John Potter said the community should not delay, arguing that the situation requires immediate action and a united response.

Adam Grinold, executive director of BDCC, said Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is among the area’s largest employers and warned that losing obstetrics services can sometimes lead to broader hospital decline. He said the coalition is treating the issue with urgency and intends to prevent that chain of events.

The announcement said organizers are already seeking donations from residents, businesses and foundations, with the short-term aim of stabilizing the center while longer-term solutions are developed at the state level. Coalition leaders said they want to preserve access now and build a stronger financial base for the future.

They also said they are working alongside BMH leadership, state lawmakers, the Governor’s office, the Green Mountain Care Board and the Agency of Human Services to examine every available option. The group pointed to measures such as standby capacity payments and changes to Medicaid reimbursement, noting that Oregon recently approved $37 million in state and federal help for rural maternity care.

BMH Board Chairwoman Chloe Learey said the hospital is still confronting serious rural health care pressures but welcomed the rapid support from community leaders. She said the response shows how important the Birthing Center is to the region and pledged continued collaboration to preserve maternity care locally.

Dr. Corina Tennant, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at BMH, said the Birthing Center remains open and that staff members are continuing to provide safe, personalized care. She said the community’s mobilization offers encouragement, even as significant work remains ahead.

Support also came from local business voices, including Skye Morse of M&S Development and Celine Lacroix of Brattleboro Portable Storage, who said the center represents more than a medical service and is part of Brattleboro’s identity and future.

The coalition said people interested in helping can find more information at savebirthatbmh.org.