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Write to your Vermont state senators and representatives and to members of Vermont’s federal delegation. Ask them to support the BMH Birthing Center!

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Follow this link to support Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

Charitable gifts to the BMH Foundation help replenish our endowment and support efforts to keep the Birthing Center alive. In the short term we need philanthropy; long term, systemic policy change is essential. Link: https://www.bmhvt.org/giving/donate-online/

Key Messaging (July 7, 2026)

  • The BMH Board of Directors has approved a planned closure of obstetric services within the next six to nine months.
  • The Birthing Center remains open and fully operational.
  • No final closure date has been established
  • BMH will continue working with the Vermont Agency of Human Services, the Governor’s Office, legislators, and other stakeholders to determine whether a sustainable path forward can be identified.
  • Patients should continue receiving prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care at BMH as scheduled.
  • BMH remains committed to maintaining access to local gynecologic (GYN) services.

This is one of the most difficult decisions the Board has ever faced. We recognize how important local maternity care is to families throughout our region. While the Board has approved a plan to close obstetric services within the next six to nine months, the Birthing Center remains open today, and we continue working with state leaders to explore every reasonable option that could preserve local access to obstetric care.

Why is BMH making this announcement now?

  • We believe our patients, employees, and community deserve transparency.
  • Providing advance notice allows patients and families to plan while giving BMH time to continue discussions with state leaders.
  • Although the Board has approved a planned closure, BMH remains committed to exploring alternatives that could preserve these services.

Why can’t BMH continue operating the Birthing Center?
Several factors have combined to create this situation:

  • Reimbursement does not cover the actual cost of providing maternity care.
  • Birth volumes have steadily declined.
  • Labor and delivery require specialized clinicians, nurses, anesthesia providers, and support staff available 24/7 regardless of patient volume.
  • Recruiting and retaining obstetric clinicians remains increasingly difficult.
  • The cost of providing care continues to increase.
  • These are challenges affecting rural hospitals throughout Vermont and across the country.

How much money is the BMH losing on obstetric services?

  • Obstetric services lost approximately $3.8 million in 2025.
  • Losses are projected to increase to approximately $4.8 million in fiscal year 2026.
  • Losses of this magnitude are not sustainable for a community hospital without significant external support or reimbursement reform.

What is the timeline for the planned closure of BMH’s Birthing Center?

  • The Board has approved a planned closure within the next six to nine months.
  • The Birthing Center remains fully operational during this planning period.
  • No final closure date has been established.
  • The six-to-nine-month timeframe allows continued discussions with state leaders and other partners while ensuring patients continue receiving care.
  • If circumstances change—including workforce availability, quality or safety considerations, or other operational needs—the timeline may need to be adjusted.

Did BMH consider other options before making this decision?

Yes. Over the past several months, BMH has:

  • Evaluated alternative staffing models.
  • Examined different care delivery approaches.
  • Explored operational efficiencies.
  • Established a multidisciplinary task force to identify ways to sustain the Birthing Center.
  • Worked with state officials and healthcare partners.
  • Continued discussions about financial support and long-term sustainability.

What conversations are taking place with the State?

BMH continues active discussions with:

  • Vermont Agency of Human Services
  • Governor’s Office
  • State legislators
  • Other healthcare partners

These discussions are focused on identifying whether financial support, reimbursement improvements, or other solutions could preserve local obstetric care.

What happens if the timeline changes?

  • Our goal is to maintain services throughout the planning period.
  • However, if circumstances change—including workforce availability, patient safety concerns, quality considerations, or other operational requirements—the timeline may need to be accelerated.
  • Patient safety will always guide every decision.

What happens to women’s healthcare at BMH?

  • This announcement applies only to obstetric services.
  • BMH remains committed to maintaining local gynecologic (GYN) care and is actively developing plans to ensure these services remain available and sustainable

Is this decision simply about money?

No. The following interconnected factors have made the current model increasingly difficult to sustain.

  • inadequate reimbursement
  • workforce shortages
  • declining birth volumes
  • rising operating costs

What would it take to keep obstetric services open at BMH?

We continue to explore every reasonable option. A sustainable path would require:

  • reimbursement rates that more accurately reflects the cost of care
  • meaningful financial support
  • long-term workforce stability
  • a viable operational model that ensures both quality and sustainability