Miner and Horn weigh in on planned end to obstetrics unit at Sharon Hospital

SHARON — The state legislators for the Region One towns told The Lakeville Journal that they are paying close attention to the plan to close the obstetrics unit at Sharon Hospital.

In a phone interview Thursday, Oct. 28, state Sen. Craig Miner (R-30) said he has received a lot of calls and emails about the hospital.

“I’m not convinced the parent company [Nuvance Health] has taken its commitments as seriously as it should.”

Miner acknowledged that certain procedures can be money losers, “but the community feels they are necessary, part of the package”

And he wondered how the hospital will retain labor and delivery staff when the future of the unit is in doubt.

State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) pointed out that Sharon Hospital is in the middle of the process of evaluation by the state Office of Health Strategies.

“They have to apply for permission” to close the maternity unit. “Eventually there will be a hearing.”

That hearing will be critical.

There are multiple meetings scheduled in November on the matter, starting with a discussion between chief elected officials in Connecticut and New York and hospital President Dr. Mark Hirko, Chief Nursing Officer Christina McCullough  and Dr. Mark Marshall at Sharon Town Hall on Friday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. (Attendance at the in-person meeting is restricted; the proceedings will be on Zoom, with a limited number of participants. The meeting will also be recorded.)

This meeting is hosted by the town of Sharon, with participation by the first selectmen of other area towns. For information, go to your town’s website or go to www.sharonct.org.

Horn said Nuvance has committed to keeping the unit open in the meantime. Like Miner, she expressed concern that medical staff will start looking elsewhere for jobs, with the future of the maternity unit up in the air.