Public Hearing Scheduled on Downgrade of Maternity Services at Framingham Union Hospital

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will hold a public hearing on April 9th to discuss the plans to downgrade maternity services at Framingham Union Hospital from a Level IIB Special Care Nursery to a Level I Well Baby Nursery. The proposed changes would limit care to healthy full-term babies or those born close to their due date, typically 35 weeks or later. City officials and nurses have expressed concerns about the impact on low-income and high-risk mothers, who may need to be transferred to other hospitals for specialized care.