A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-61, regarding the Cambridge Birth Center

CHA Executive Offices 1493 Cambridge Street • Cambridge, MA 02139 Health Allianc CHA Cam Aidne MEMORANDUM Date: September 27, 2022 To: Yi-An Huang, City Manager City of Cambridge From: Assaad Sayah, MD, CEO Cambridge Health Alliance RE: Response to POR 2022 #160 Thank you for bringing City Council Policy Order POR 2022 #160 regarding the Cambridge Birth Center to my attention. CHA understands the importance of, and is committed to providing, midwifery services and equitable access to safe mate ral care for all of the communities it serves. During the COVID pandemic, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts order that all outpatient services be halted, to focus on the Commonwealth's greater need for inpatient services. The Cambridge Birth Center is licensed as an outpatient site, and in compliance with the state mandate CHA halted services at that facility while continuing to provide midwifery services within the McGovern Maternity Suite at the CHA Cambridge Hospital campus. Shortly after the Commonwealth allowed outpatient services to reopen, CHA resumed providing outpatient midwifery services at the Cambridge Birth Center and other locations, namely the CHA Cambridge Hospital campus, the CHA Somerville campus, and the CHA East Cambridge and Revere Care Centers. While CHA continues to provide midwifery services at the Cambridge Birth Center and across its system, staffing shortages, programmatic issues, facility concerns, and significant cost issues have led CH A to keep performing all deliveries in its McGovern Maternity Suite. To address these complicated and intertwined issues, with the help of an outside expert consultant, CHA is undertaking a comprehensive assessment of its birth center programing, including whether CHA can safely provide deliveries at the existing Cambridge Birth Center. I will keep you updated on this matter. Thank you. AOS AFFILIATED WITH: School of MassGeneral Hospital Beth Israel Deaconess HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL TEACHING HOSPITAL Medical Center Tufts School af UNIVERSITY