“Women and Children Last” is the decision made by the Chester River Hospital Board of Directors who have voted to no longer offer pediatric services and will close the maternity wing April 1st.
Hospital CEO Jim Ross announced at a meeting held at Kent County High School that “ of the 46 acute care hospitals in Maryland 11 do not offer OB services.” Is that a reason for our hospital to do the same?
The obstetric patients of Drs. Moorman and Webb will be delivered at Anne Arundel Medical Services in Annapolis. One hopes that a woman does not go into labor on a summer Sunday evening, when traffic is backed up from the bridge to Wye Mills. Dr. Deb Davis, emergency room chief said, ”OBs will not be delivering babies at the hospital. . . the patient will be stabilized and transferred.”
I lived in Centreville when my children were born and the drive to Easton for the first child and Chestertown for the others was all too long . A trip across the Bay, or in a helicopter would increase the stress a mother is already undergoing.
This hospital has been the result of years of support and hard work by the citizens of Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties, and I feel what we have built is being diminished, and our health put at risk . Lack of pediatric and maternity services will stifle the growth of both Counties.
“Do no harm”, is part of the oath Dr.’s swear. I feel that the managers and the Board of Directors of Chester River Hospital are doing harm to us all. I would wish the voters and taxpayers in both counties would demand that the hospital that was formerly “ours” meet our needs.
Mary Wood
Chestertown Maryland
Melinda Bookwalter says
Well put, Mary.
jenifer emley says
What Mary said.
Jenifer Emley
Stephan Sonn says
Mary , sadly it all boils down to profit and loss not kindness and compassion for those who might be inconvenienced or endangered.
The hospital was built to the needs of the community. As many feared, the only way this community will be served i in the future is as a remote client.. The mountain is not coming to Mohammad..
To Mr Ross’s credit he spoke honestly about why young Doctors are uninspired by the lack of amenity here.
Did you see the status quo rise in self justification when he looked toward some change?
Check out Ms Wheeler ,in full defense of something she can’t control. but must support as a measure of her job.
More than anything this is an issue of lagging standards and means for small community to survive as we like to live.
I am so sorry to have to speak in these terms but you have to play with a full deck to effect viable solutions.
Janice says
Bravo, Mary Wood!
Unfortunately when the Kent and Queen Anne’s Hospital became part of the Chester River Health System, any public input ceased to be taken seriously, if at all. Meetings, forums, and public discussions were scripted by the performers on the stage. Questions were answered incompletely (the truth, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth). UMMS brought in a bunch of proxies to carry out the orders from afar, and they will do the bidding as instructed. Two and half years ago, one of those proxy persons told me that she thought the hospital would be closed in 2 or 3 years. She’s still there. How’s that for building community confidence?!
Editor says
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D LaMotte says
If we had a single payer system and doctors were paid a salary, such as Mayo Clinic, would the situation be
different??
Georgina Bliss says
Well said Mary! The notion that a woman who is in the process of delivery can be stabilized and transferred is absolutely ridiculous. I myself have had a horrible delivery when my doctors completely miscalculated my child’s birth believing it would take hours and it took minutes. I broke bones as a result of their poor calculations. How on earth will a mother in labor be stabilized in a moving ambulance? The story about Chester River Hospital is a tragedy for our local community. Hospitals, like schools, are part of the basic infrastructure – the very fabric that brings us all together and makes us feel secure in our environment.
Stephan Sonn says
David, presuming you actually expect an answer it is yes,
as a rura provider not a profit center. burdened with a bent to short serve.
The present system is blind to legitimate human needs
that include safe and timely access to service if only ti diffuse anxiety
Michael Troup says
“One hopes that a woman does not go into labor on a summer Sunday evening, when traffic is backed up from the bridge to Wye Mills. ”
Or a spring afternoon when the drawbridge is stuck!
Keith Thompson says
Stephan Sonn writes “To Mr Ross’s credit he spoke honestly about why young Doctors are uninspired by the lack of amenity here….Did you see the status quo rise in self justification when he looked toward some change?”
Well said, Stephan. Much is said about the quality of life that comes from living in a rural setting (one of Kent County’s prime attractions) but a lack of amenities is inherent in maintaining that rural setting. Only a wealthy community can afford to provide top notch amenities while keeping out the economic development that provides the revenue base to pay for it. “Quality of life” (however it’s defined) does come at an economic cost and a lack of amenities is one of those economic costs. If access to top notch healthcare is my primary concern, I’m not going to settle in a rural community.
Stephan Sonn says
The risk to Mothers and unborn children is too great.
with a decision to abandon community responsibility
right on the shoulders of the University of Maryland
and on the medical community in general.
Time for someone to subsidize a caring doctor.
My God is this what the future holds.
Business before life and limb.
Did somebody say health reform???
Keith Thompson says
To answer DLaMotte’s question…how would things be different if we had a single payer system and doctor’s were paid a salary? The plus is that more people would have access to basic healthcare. The minus is that the quality of that care would decrease as fewer of the best and brightest would be attracted to the healthcare field.
Stephan Sonn says
Why does the great
University of Maryland Medical School
not send out a missionary ?