Questions surround future of GW Hospital’s long-standing midwifery practice as patients seek answers
GW Hospital midwife program future uncertain, patients seek answers
Expecting families are facing uncertainty as questions mount over the future of the long-standing midwifery practice at George Washington University Hospital. Sources tell FOX 5 that the program could be facing major changes or shutting down completely.
WASHINGTON - Questions are mounting about the future of George Washington University Hospital’s long-standing midwifery practice, with patients, doulas and former providers raising concerns about major changes that have left some expecting families searching for answers.
FOX 5 has reached out repeatedly to GW Hospital and others connected to the hospital’s maternity services seeking clarification, but as of Wednesday evening had not received a response.
Multiple sources who work directly with pregnant patients at GW told FOX 5 they believe the hospital’s midwifery practice is undergoing significant changes, with some saying they have been told the practice is shutting down. FOX 5 has not been able to independently confirm that information.
Patients say they can’t reach their midwives
The uncertainty is creating anxiety for some patients who are just weeks away from giving birth.
Lindsey Vick, CEO of Sunflowers Healing & Wellness Doula Agency, said several of her clients who planned to deliver at GW Hospital are now reconsidering their birth plans.
"The panic is real. We have dealt with multiple conversations with clients who are due soon in the next month or two and are planning to deliver at GW. They’re now looking for other alternatives. Some are considering out-of-hospital birth, some are considering transfers to other hospitals. People who want to give birth with a midwife don’t want to give birth with an OB. It’s not the same approach to care, and it does matter," Vick said.
According to Vick and other sources, some patients say they have been unable to schedule appointments with midwives or receive responses to messages sent through the patient portal.
George Washington University Hospital
A program with nearly two decades of history
GW’s midwifery practice has been part of the hospital’s maternity care program since 2010. It launched with one certified nurse-midwife and quickly expanded. By 2013, the practice had grown to eight midwives, delivering roughly 60 babies each month.
In 2022, GW publicly acknowledged a "decreased midwifery presence," citing staffing challenges that could mean a midwife would not always be available to attend deliveries.
The questions surrounding the program also come as GW undergoes a broader transition. In May, the hospital announced that most Medical Faculty Associates physicians and staff would move into the newly created Capital Medical Group.
On its website, GW states that patients’ care would continue "without disruption" during the transition.
However, some midwifery patients told FOX 5 they have been unable to make appointments or hear back from their midwives.
FOX 5 has not been able to determine whether the reported changes to the midwifery practice are connected to the larger transition.
Midwifery founder hopes the program can continue
Whitney Pinger, a certified nurse-midwife who founded GW’s midwifery service and helped shape midwifery laws and protections in the District, said she cannot speak to what is currently happening inside the hospital.
However, she believes the practice has been in decline for years and hopes it can ultimately be rebuilt.
"D.C. deserves a strong collaborative model of care. GW has been known for it for almost two decades now, and I really pray, I hope there’s anything I can do to help rebuild that midwifery service and give the midwives who are there job satisfaction so that they want to be there and they want to stay," Pinger said.
GW has not responded
FOX 5 made multiple attempts Wednesday to obtain clarification from GW Hospital and others involved, including whether the midwifery practice is continuing, what changes have been made, and what those changes mean for current patients.
As of publication, FOX 5 had not received a response. This story will be updated if and when GW Hospital provides additional information.
George Washington University Hospital
The Source: Information in this article comes FOX 5's Shirin Rajaee and Sunflowers Healing & Wellness Doula Agency.