Nassau University Medical Center, Nassau County’s only public hospital, has suspended its obstetrics program indefinitely, according to statements from hospital leadership shared with Becker’s July 20.
The East Meadow, N.Y.-based safety-net hospital had halted most deliveries May 1 after an independent patient safety review, then reopened June 12 as a limited Level 1 unit accepting only low-risk patients under 35 years old and beyond 36 weeks gestation. NUMC had formerly operated a level 3 obstetrics program — among the highest designations of maternal care — and before the May suspension delivered more than 725 babies annually, according to Newsday, which first reported the closure July 17.
“In the weeks since reopening, it has become clear that our teams need additional time and training, and the program requires a deeper review before we can deliver care at the standard our patients deserve,” Thomas Stokes, the hospital’s CEO, said in a statement shared with Becker’s. Current patients are being contacted directly and connected with care at nearby facilities, he said.
Richard Kessel, board chair of Nassau Health Care Corp., which operates NUMC, attributed the suspension to years of mismanagement and called it a patient safety decision. “We would rather pause this program — twice, or more, if that is what patient safety requires — than operate below the standard our patients deserve,” Mr. Kessel said in a statement shared with Becker’s.
The closure comes amid more than a year of turmoil at NUMC. A state law that took effect June 1, 2025, shifted control of Nassau Health Care Corp., which oversees NUMC, from the county to the state and expanded state oversight of its finances. The overhaul preceded a wave of departures from the hospital’s senior ranks. On June 10, 2025, the board placed Megan Ryan, the hospital’s president and CEO since 2024, on administrative leave and named Richard Becker, MD, interim CEO. Ms. Ryan was terminated later that month, and nine other leaders resigned.
NUMC is Nassau County’s only public hospital and a community teaching hospital operating under Nassau Health Care Corp., a New York state public benefit corporation.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.