After years of declining births and recruitment challenges, the Windham Hospital Birthing Center is seeking State approval to no longer provide childbirth services.
The rest of the pregnancy experience remains the same, with prenatal and postpartum care continuing at Windham Hospital. The hospital, which ranks last in Connecticut for number of births this year, has plans to enhance its women’s health services as part of a larger, long-term strategy to provide the highest quality, coordinated care.
We are planning this program closure in a thoughtful and deliberate manner, balancing our desire to serve our community and to keep mothers and babies safe.
FAQsDataFor Expectant MothersFor the MediaCommunity ForumsPublic Hearing Testimony
Frequently asked questions
Why will Windham Hospital no longer be providing childbirth services?
Windham-area mothers are choosing to have their babies at other hospitals in the region. Windham Hospital has the lowest number of births in the state and as a result, has been unable to recruit additional providers and staff to continue the service. This decision is so that mothers have access to the best care to deliver their babies and there is a coordinated plan to ensure that patients can safely deliver their baby at Backus Hospital or a hospital of their choice.
Will Windham Hospital continue to offer prenatal and postpartum care?
Yes. Windham Hospital will continue to offer comprehensive women’s health services, including prenatal and postpartum care for mothers and babies, and is welcoming new patients. The only difference for expecting mothers is that the Women’s Health Services team will coordinate their delivery at either Backus Hospital or a hospital of their choosing. In addition, Windham Hospital will continue to enhance their women’s health offerings, including breast health, women’s cardiology, uro-gynecology and integrative health services.
Can mothers deliver at Windham Hospital in emergency situations?
Yes, the Windham Hospital Emergency Department staff is fully trained in the assessment of expectant mothers and will help coordinate a safe transfer of an expectant mother to Backus Hospital or another hospital of the patient’s choosing. In emergency situations, staff can deliver in the event the mother cannot be safely transported to another facility to deliver her baby.
Where can women in the Windham area deliver their babies?
The decision about where to deliver is determined by the patient and the obstetrician. Hartford HealthCare has a network of hospitals throughout the state including Backus Hospital, a baby-friendly designated Hospital, about 17 miles away from Windham Hospital. The Women’s Health program at Windham Hospital has a coordinated process to transition women to Backus Hospital or the hospital of the mother’s choice. Transportation to Backus and other area hospitals is also available to expectant mothers who may need assistance.
What has the Hospital done to try to sustain the program?
The hospital has worked continuously over the past several years to ensure a quality birthing center with the support of a dedicated nursing staff and obstetric team. Due to declining births, just over 100 each year since 2017, we are unable to sustain the service going forward. Transitioning birthing services to Backus Hospital (or other area hospital) is the safest and best plan for mothers and their babies.
Will any staff lose their jobs as a result of the transition of services?
No, the labor and delivery staff will have opportunities to work in other departments in the hospital.
Is Windham Hospital closing?
No, Windham Hospital is not closing. Hartford HealthCare continues to enhance Windham Hospital’s services for the community, including a recent upgrade to the latest technology in 3D mammography, installing a new SPEC CT nuclear imaging machine, and recruiting primary care, general surgery, and more specialists to the region so that patients have better access to care locally.
How will the public be notified about the discontinuation of childbirth services at Windham Hospital?
Windham Hospital administration has discussed the hospital’s plan with hospital staff, legislators who represent the Windham region, and community partners. Additionally, the Hospital has notified the Department of Public Health and as part of the State’s regulatory process, filed public notice to request a Certificate of Need (CON) with the Office of Health Care Access. The CON is a program requiring State approval for changes in healthcare delivery. The hospital is also working closely with medical providers in the area to ensure that doctors, expectant mothers and their families are informed about their options for delivery.
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Data
The charts below show the rate of decline of Windham Hospital live births over the past 10 years, along with a statewide comparison. (download these graphs)
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For Expectant Mothers
If you are an expectant mother who was planning to deliver at Windham Hospital, you should have received a letter outlining the process for delivery once you go into labor.
During this time, Backus Hospital obstetricians will provide care for you and will be delivering babies at Backus Hospital.
Our Women’s Health Services team at Windham Hospital and Dr. Eugene Rozenshteyn will continue to provide prenatal care. Dr. Rozenshteyn is available to answer your questions at your next prenatal visit.
If you think you are in labor, leaking fluid, bleeding, not feeling the baby moving, or have other questions or concerns:
- Contact the Backus obstetrician on-call by calling 860.456.6796.
- Tell the doctor that you are a patient at Windham Hospital.
- Call 911 if you need immediate medical attention.
If you do not have transportation available to travel to deliver your baby, we can help. Tell your doctor if you do not have transportation available; the doctor will ask you to call 911 when you are ready to go to the hospital to deliver, and an ambulance will transport you to Backus.
Ambulance transportation will be available from the Windham Hospital emergency department as well.
If you would prefer to deliver your baby at a hospital other than Backus, Dr. Rozenshteyn will work with to help make arrangements for your delivery and transportation if needed.
Please know that you are in good hands and will be taken care of by some of the best doctors in Eastern Connecticut. Your safety and that of your baby is our top priority.
We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience this creates. If you have any questions about your delivery plan, please call Dr. Rozenshteyn at 860.456.6796.
Information about the birthing center at Backus Hospital, including a virtual tour of the facility, can be found here.
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For the Media
Thank you for your interest in Windham Hospital. We are available to provide you with additional information for your to share with your audiences.
Our latest press releases are listed below.
To speak with a representative from Windham Hospital, please reach out to Tina Varona at tina.varona@hhchealth.org or call/text at 860.310.7640.
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Community Forums
Virtual Public Meeting on Childbirth Services, Aug. 10, 2020
Watch recording
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Public Hearing Testimony
Sworn testimony of healthcare experts regarding the request to close childbirth services at Windham Hospital
On Wednesday, November 10, 2021, the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy conducted a public hearing regarding Windham Hospital’s closure of childbirth (obstetric) services.
View the Hearing page on portal.ct.gov
Below, you can read the sworn written testimony of four medical experts. Brief excerpts are provided; please click the links to read the complete testimony.
Donna Handley, RN
President, Windham Hospital
“The investments that Windham Hospital is making in healthcare services to benefit the local community is a testament to our commitment to keeping the Hospital as a vital community healthcare resource. While we had to make the difficult decision to terminate obstetric services to ensure the health and safety of women and their babies, we will continue to provide exceptional prenatal and postpartum care to these same women and children once they have safely delivered at Backus or the hospital of their choosing. We have also worked tirelessly to recruit physicians and make enhancements to Women’s Health Services, which will benefit these women throughout their lives. This is in addition to enhancements to health services and technology that will benefit all members of the Windham community.”
Read her testimony
David Kalla, MD
Regional Medical Director of Women’s Health Services
Practicing obstetrician/gynecologist (“OB/GYN”)
“As a practicing obstetrician … patient safety is of the utmost importance and foundational to informed decisions regarding whether to continue an OB service. As you will hear from others today, the decision to terminate OB services at Windham was driven by patient safety and our inability to ensure that safety in a low-volume unit. In making the decision to terminate labor and delivery services, the Hospital engaged in thoughtful and deliberate planning to ensure that each patient’s care is safely coordinated.”
Read his testimony
Adam Borgida, MD
Chief, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Director of Women’s Health Services
“Windham OB was, and would have continued to be, an extremely fragile service that was unable to consistently staff the unit and deliver babies with enough regularity to maintain skills and competencies. Closure of this service, and the redirection of women to higher volume hospitals such as Backus for their deliveries, is in the interest of patient safety and will lead to the best possible outcomes for the women of Windham and their babies.”
Read his testimony
John Rodis, MD
Founder and President, Arista Health
Former practicing obstetrician/gynecologist (“OB/GYN”), Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, and hospital administrator
“In my professional opinion, this is the right choice for patient safety. Women will be safer delivering in local high-volume OB units, which are better equipped to meet their needs and the needs of their babies. In addition, Windham is doing tremendous things for the community by investing in much-needed prenatal and postpartum care and other Women’s Health Services.”
Read his testimony
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