Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - the neugarten family birth center at northern dutchess hospital was founded in 1985 to provide women with a family-centered…

Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - the neugarten family birth center at northern dutchess hospital was founded in 1985 to provide women with a family-centered childbirth environment that combines natural childbirth options with access to emergency medical care. When the next nearest hospital closed its maternity unit in 2019, the neugarten birth center became the only birthing option east of the river between the cities of poughkeepsie and albany. Increased demand at the birth center has magnified the need for the birth center to replace and update equipment to ensure safe and healthy outcomes for mothers and babies. In the FY 2022 consolidated appropriations act (P.L. 117-103), congress awarded $300,000 from the hrsa health facilities construction and equipment account to replace outdated patient safety and monitoring equipment in its neugarten birth center. This funding will allow the hospital to: - replace equipment related to patient safety: labor beds, postpartum beds, rocking chairs, cardiac monitors, infant security system, recliner beds. - replace outdated workflow equipment and ensure sufficient equipment for all labor rooms: computer units, labor carts, fetal monitors - update patient experience items that are worn, ripped, or outdated: furniture and permanent fixtures used by patients and their families. Northern dutchess hospital of nuvance health is grateful and pleased that senator schumer, senator gillibrand, and representative delgado supported our funding request for this project.