photo by Robert Lintott
From the office of Councilmember Henderson:
“The following is a statement from Councilmember Henderson on the closure of MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Postpartum Maternity Unit:
“I am deeply concerned about MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s decision to close one of its two postpartum maternity units later this month, which will result in an overall reduction of available beds. Although hospital leadership has cited a lower patient census as the reasoning, Washington Hospital Center is still delivering more than a third of babies born in the District. The timing is especially unfortunate given that summer is a peak time for births. Furthermore, given its comprehensive antepartum care and its Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Washington Hospital Center is a vital lifeline for patients and providers managing high-risk pregnancies and preterm births across the region. I worry what a reduction in maternity beds will mean for women who need this level of critical care before and immediately after their child is born. Will they be prematurely discharged due to space constraints? Will they be forced to travel to hospitals further away? I fear that this decision will result in more patients being turned away or having no choice but to deliver in emergency rooms, which carries a higher risk of complications.
“At a Maternal Health Roundtable that the Council hosted earlier this month and through other meetings, the Committee on Health has heard of continued high demand for labor and delivery services at Washington Hospital Center. The hospital has recently had to board patients in their labor and delivery unit because there were no postpartum beds available, and it has already been on diversion for labor and delivery 17 times thus far in 2026, according to data provided by the DC Department of Health. These situations have cascading effects across the District. I have personally experienced the impact of diversion and laboring in a triage room at a District hospital because there were no labor and delivery beds available; these diversions only add further stress and discomfort to the birth experience.
“The Committee on Health’s requests for information about this decision have been met with light responses from Washington Hospital Center regarding low demand for services, even when data from other sources indicates continued high demand. Our request to tour the postpartum units has been rebuffed until after one unit is closed on July 26. MedStar Washington Hospital Center has done great work through its Safe Babies Safe Moms program to improve maternal health outcomes in the District, and it would be a shame to lose momentum on that progress due to a decision driven by so-called financial pressures, rather than what is best for patients.”