Nurses urge MedStar to halt planned postpartum unit closure in D.C.

Union nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., are asking hospital leadership to reverse a planned closure of a postpartum unit, saying the move would weaken maternal care at the city’s largest hospital and fall hardest on marginalized communities.

National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United said the hospital notified the union on May 26, 2026, that it intends to eliminate 11 maternal health beds and displace eight nurses by July 26, 2026. If the plan goes forward, MedStar Washington Hospital Center would be left with one postpartum unit.

In a follow-up town hall with staff nurses, Chief Nursing Officer Ariam Yitbarek confirmed the closure, according to the union. Other hospital leaders also told staff that scheduled C-sections and inductions would be strictly limited for patients from a number of D.C. maternal health organizations. The union said many of those organizations primarily serve low-income patients, immigrants and patients of color, communities that face significantly higher risks of maternal mortality.

Staff were also informed that Kaiser Permanente, which insures a large number of D.C. city employees and many of the hospital’s own workers, would face strict limits on scheduling inductions and C-sections for its patients as well, the union said.

Stephanie Sims-Coates, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit, said closing postpartum unit 5F would have a severe impact on people already affected by health disparities. She said low-income families and families of color would be most affected, adding that families trust the medical staff at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and plan to come there for care. She said that in a city where Black women make up 90 percent of pregnancy-related deaths despite being only half the population, the decision to close the unit is a serious mistake.

Community leaders and healthcare workers have joined the call for MedStar to keep the unit open and put patients before profits, according to the union. Nurses met this past weekend with Washington, D.C., mayoral candidate and Ward 4 councilwoman Janeese Lewis George to discuss the planned closure and its effect on the city’s most vulnerable residents.

Lewis George said maternal mortality is a crisis for Washington, D.C., and said the health care system needs to address it immediately rather than make the challenges for birthing parents worse. She said it is time to invest in health care instead of making cuts, and added that she wants to work with the hospital to identify solutions that work for patients and the provider.

Marcqueata “Tiya” Butler, RN in the Mother/Baby unit, said she has seen the hospital promote its Safe Moms, Safe Babies program and hold a community baby shower aimed at drawing attention to the maternal mortality crisis. Butler said the current plan to close 11 postpartum beds goes against the hospital’s stated commitments. She said the hospital is aware of ongoing inequities in access to care and should consider the effect on the community, protect mothers and infants in Washington, D.C., and commit to addressing the maternal mortality rate.

The release said MedStar Health, a registered non-profit, reported $9 billion in operating revenue in 2024.

NNOC/NNU represents more than 2,200 registered nurses at Washington Hospital Center. National Nurses United said it is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, with more than 225,000 members nationwide. Its affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association and New York State Nurses Association.