The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Mayor lashes out at UH move
Says it perpetuates institutional racism
Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield is decrying University Hospitals’ decision to move birthing services out of the city as a wrong decision that perpetuates institutional racism.
In a letter to the community posted on his official Facebook page, Whitfield said the city is in the “final hour” before the hospital system moves the Elyria Birthing Center to UHSt. John’s Medical Center in Westlake.
Whitfield said since the July 28 announcement by UHElyria President Kristi Sink, pleas from the city to maintain birthing services at UHElyria Medical Center have “fallen on deaf ears.”
“Our first plea was for them to keep the birthing center and find a way to scale it down, but still keep this needed service in the city,” the mayor wrote. “I invited other leaders to join me and some did join in the fight.
“(Lorain County Public) Health commissioner Dave Covell joined me every in person meeting, and shared with UH the direct public health concern he had, which fell on deaf ears. I was joined with dozens of nurses and local mothers who wrote letters and stood outside with signs pleading for UH to reconsider; it fell on deaf ears.
“We had over 700 survey responses of residents around Lorain County sharing their voice that we needed the birthing center in Elyria and why it was important. It fell on deaf ears.”
In the most recent plea, Whitfield was joined by state Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, in meeting with UH leadership where he directly asked if their decision was being fueled by implicit bias that put the needs of Westlake families over those of Elyria.
From a pure data standpoint, the mayor said families in Westlake are more likely to be able to access services in examining median incomes and the poverty rate and argued UH would have been better suited to invest those resources into a community like Elyria.
“Instead of paying thousands of dollars to try to expand a center in Westlake and paying for the transportation to taxi or Uber a mother in labor from Elyria to Westlake, why wouldn’t you put those resources into educating and encouraging the mothers and families in Westlake that traveling to Elyria will be OK?,” Whitfield asked. “Educating them that our birthing center is high quality and has an extremely low mortality rate.
“That the image and perception they may have gotten about cities like Elyria are wrong, and that they would have just as great or even a better birthing center in Elyria with our stateof-the-art birthing center that already exists. That, too, fell on deaf ears.”
Whitfield said that after months of pleading with UH leadership about moving the center, local officials challenged the hospital system to be accountable to its own public statements in standing up for people of color following the death of George Floyd in May in Minneapolis, while at the same time, reducing services in a city with a large African American population.
“I have shared with them how this is the exact example of institutional racism,” Whitfield wrote. “This fell on deaf ears as well.
“And this is why people are tired and protesting all around America: because we are tired of hollow statements. Because when the time comes to make decisions on the side of equity and justice, decisions like this from UH show the lack of conviction and courage many have to confront the injustices that exist in America.”
On Aug. 5, Whitfield and local officials rallied at Elyria City Hall to save the birthing center.
At the time, he said he was shocked to learn of the decision in a phone call with Sink and expressed profound disappointment at being excluded from the decision-making process.
In announcing the decision, UH said it was purely about the numbers with births declining from over 1,000 in 2009 to only 279 in the first half of 2020.
UH officials have argued consolidating its services will enable the hospital system to improve patient care.
On Aug. 5, Whitfield and local officials rallied at Elyria City Hall to save the birthing center.
UH responds
In a statement in response to Whitfield’s comments, UH reaffirmed its decision rests on improving outcomes for all patients.
“We have spoken at great lengths with Mayor Whitfield about the decision to create a combined regional birthing center at UH St. John Medical Center,” according to UH’s statement. “The decision to create a regional center is driven by our values and commitment to ensure quality care to all patients.
“By maintaining and strengthening pre- and post-natal care at UH Elyria, implementing new transportation services for pregnant women, initiating a centering program and adding a women’s health navigator, we will improve outcomes for Elyria’s mothers and babies.”