Maine Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins is backing a proposal to support birthing centers at rural hospitals.
The measure aims to help rural healthcare facilities get the training and tools needed to respond to obstetric emergencies.
The proposal includes a training program, federal grants, and a pilot program to support obstetric and maternal health. It also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to study maternity ward closures.
Northern Light Inland Hospital and Women’s Health in Waterville will close its birthing center on March 1, becoming the ninth such facility in Maine to close in the last decade.
Co-sponsoring the bill, The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act, with Collins are Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, Tina Smith, D-Minnesota, and Katie Britt, R-Alabama.
