An independent consulting firm found that operating a freestanding birth center is not feasible in Windham, Conn., according to an April 10 Connecticut Mirror report.
The consultant’s report was triggered after Windham Hospital stopped performing birthing services in 2020 and applied to the state for a certificate of need to shutter its labor and delivery unit. Three years later, state authorities approved the hospital, part of Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare, to formally close the unit, given that a third party confirmed the lack of demand.
In early April, consulting firm Guidehouse presented a report showing a freestanding birth center in Windham, which has a population of about 23,000, would not be financially feasible.
A freestanding center would need at least 115 annual births to break even, the firm said. In 2023, a birth center in Windham would have cared for between 75 and 88 births. “Based on the findings from the variety of assessments and analytics,” the report said, according to the Connecticut Mirror, “Guidehouse believes a [freestanding birth center] is not feasible to establish and provide safe and high-quality care for women” in the hospital’s service area.
