(GRESHAM, Ore.) – The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) issued the following statement upon the announcement that Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center will reopen its recently closed Family Birth Center. Legacy's announcement follows a months-long campaign from local nurses, doctors, patients, community members and elected leaders to save the family birth center. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) also denied Legacy's waiver to stop providing required maternity services at Legacy Mount Hood.

ONA represents registered nurses at three Legacy Health hospitals–Legacy Silverton Medical Center, Legacy’s Unity Center for Behavioral Health in Portland and Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham where nurses voted to unionize last week.

“We are incredibly grateful to our patients, our community and our coworkers for their hard work and activism. Together we have turned the tide and saved our family birth center. This reopening will restore health care to thousands of families in East Multnomah and Clackamas Counties.

Now we must remain vigilant to ensure Legacy follows through on its commitments to our community and to frontline health care workers. Legacy must fully reopen the birthing center as soon as possible and begin the difficult work of rebuilding our community's trust after choosing to close the center and putting its profits ahead of patients' needs. Nurses and staff look forward to ensuring all patients and families have access to the high-quality health care they deserve at Legacy Mount Hood.”

Nurses and other health care providers at Legacy Mount Hood serve approximately 275,000 people in East Multnomah and Clackamas Counties including diverse, fast-growing and historically underserved communities. The family birth center is the only hospital birthplace option in Oregon’s 4th largest city and the closest option for families in East Multnomah County all the way up to Government Camp. It serves more birthing people seeking urgent obstetrical care than any other facility in the Legacy Health System.

ONA is also calling for support for House Bill 3592 which would require OHA to consider equity implications in maternity waiver processes.

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 16,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.

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