To the Board of Directors and Executive Director of the WBWC:

As current and past birthing patients at the WBWC we are extremely saddened to hear that all of the WBWC midwives have resigned over the last several days. Though we are not aware of the details surrounding their resignation, we trust and love our midwives and know that a collective decision as grave as this would not have been made without good reason. In addition, it is extremely concerning that countless midwives and other clinical and support staff have resigned or been fired over the past year or so. Such a high turn over in staff reflects very poorly on the current leadership of the WBWC. And a high turnover rate puts patients at risk for receiving subpar care.

The WBWC has been near and dear to the hearts of so many families in our community for decades now. As the only birth center for miles, it has been like a beacon of light for birthing people seeking an out-of-hospital birth and the care of attentive and compassionate midwives. It is also one of only a handful of practices in the area that accepts prenatal patients insured with Medicaid. We do not want to see the WBWC shut its doors, but we fear that this is exactly what will happen if the way that it is being managed does not drastically change. Maureen and so many others worked so hard to give our community this beautiful gift. The mothers in our community need and deserve to have this birth center as an option for their care. Do not let it fall apart.

Please, please listen to your midwives. Give them the respect, attention, and validation that they deserve. Give them a reason to want to stay. Make the WBWC midwives a formal part of your leadership structure. Ensure that at least one of the members of the Board of Directors is a local midwife with out-of-hospital experience. The WBWC is what it is because of its midwives. We seek care from the birth center, whether it be maternity care or primary care, because our midwives. If you continue to lose them, you will undoubtedly lose most, if not all, of your clients.

If you feel you are unable to make the necessary changes to retain your midwives (as well as other clinic and support staff), we respectfully ask that the Board significantly change its membership and that the Executive Director steps down immediately.