GRESHAM, Ore. — Editor's note: On April 25, Legacy said it was targeting a late May date to open the Mount Hood Family Birth Center. It had originally said it would open in July. This story and headline has been updated with the new target date.
On Tuesday, Legacy Health announced in a letter to the community saying it plans on reopening the Mount Hood Family Birth Center in Gresham in late May.
"We recognize the Family Birth Center’s essential role in our community and welcoming patients is our top priority," said Jonathan Avery, senior vice president.
In the letter, Avery went on to apologize for the stress, confusion and disruption caused by closure last month for both employees and patients. He said the goal now is to "rebuild trust as we move forward together."
Legacy previously said they were working out the re-opening details and will submit their plan to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
Two Legacy nurses who spoke to KGW last Tuesday, said they had received a previous letter and were excited but skeptical about the news.
"Very excited and also a little hesitant as we would like to see the follow through. There has been a lack of transparency throughout this whole process," said Jenny Moyer, a nurse at the family birth center. "We will believe it when we see it."
Another nurse, Ginny Moyer, said she worked at the birthing center but is now on severance, one of several nurses who got laid off or transferred following the closure.
"Some of us are on severance, and some have gone to Randall's (at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center), some of us have gone to other systems," she said. "But I think the vast majority of us want to come back."
Nurses at Legacy Mount Hood voted last week to unionize with the Oregon Nurses Association. ONA released a statement Wednesday celebrating the birth center decision, and called for Legacy to reopen it as soon as possible.
"I don't think it could have happened without the support from the community —without families and hospital staff and community organizations coming together," said Rep. Zach Hudson, whose district covers Troutdale, Fairview and parts of Gresham.
Legacy's initial closure announcement blamed the decision on a shortage of workers and financial losses. In its online FAQ, Legacy said the Gresham facility was an outlier among its six hospitals because of its relatively low number of births, ranging from 700 to 1,000 per year.
Patients in east Multnomah County were diverted to the Family Birth Center at Randall Children's Hospital in North Portland for labor and delivery services.
Legacy closed the Mount Hood Birth Center on March 17 before approval from OHA. On March 29, Oregon health officials denied an application from Legacy Health to close the birth center — and opened an investigation into Legacy's decision to close the center without official permission.