BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — With a state hearing on the future of labor and delivery services at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center nearly here, the Ogdensburg City Council is adding its voice to the growing opposition over the proposed closure.

Council members unanimously approved a resolution Monday night urging North Star Health Alliance and the New York State Department of Health to reverse plans to eliminate Labor and Delivery services at the hospital. If the closure ultimately moves forward, the city is asking the state to require North Star to maintain at least two maternity beds as part of Claxton-Hepburn's transition to a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital.

The resolution comes ahead of a state-required public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ogdensburg Free Academy auditorium. During the hearing, North Star officials are expected to explain the proposal, answer questions and accept public comment before the Department of Health decides whether to approve the closure.

Residents unable to attend in person can participate virtually through Google Meet or by phone, and written comments will be accepted for one week following the hearing as part of the state's review process.

Council members said Claxton-Hepburn has been a cornerstone of healthcare in Ogdensburg for more than 140 years but acknowledged the hospital's financial struggles over the past year.

North Star Health Alliance filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February after months of cash-flow problems, and more than 200 positions have since been eliminated across the health system, according to the resolution. At least half of those layoffs occurred at Claxton-Hepburn.

Council members said the job losses have created hardships for displaced employees, remaining staff and residents as services continue to be reduced.

The latest concern stems from North Star's July 14 announcement that it intends to seek state approval to discontinue Labor and Delivery services at Claxton-Hepburn. If approved, the closure would eliminate the only birthing center within 30 miles of Ogdensburg.

The resolution echoes concerns raised by Assemblyman Scott Gray, who has called on Gov. Kathy Hochul and state health officials to give the proposal "the fullest scrutiny." Gray has argued the loss of the maternity unit would force expectant mothers to travel significantly farther for care, often in difficult winter conditions.

City officials also pointed to what they say is an existing state-approved plan that would preserve limited maternity services.

Mayor Michael Tooley recalled a July 2025 meeting with hospital administrators and city officials in which Carthage Area Hospital's proposal to convert Claxton-Hepburn into a Critical Access Hospital was discussed. According to the resolution, that transition plan called for reducing the hospital's maternity unit from 10 beds to two rather than eliminating it entirely.

After Tooley asked Gray's office to locate the original application, the documents confirmed the proposal included a two-bed maternity unit. The plan was approved by the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council in June 2024.

Based on that approval, the council is urging North Star to honor the original transition plan if Labor and Delivery services cannot be fully preserved.

The resolution calls on North Star and the Department of Health to reverse the proposed closure. If that does not happen, the city is asking the health system to retain two maternity beds and urging the Department of Health to require that as a condition of approving Claxton-Hepburn's conversion to a Critical Access Hospital.

Council members also asked the state to delay any decision on eliminating Labor and Delivery until a partner hospital system has been approved for Claxton-Hepburn.

Certified copies of the resolution will be sent to Hochul, Gray, state Sen. Mark Walczyk, North Star Health Alliance and the New York State Department of Health.

Community opposition to the proposal has continued to grow in recent weeks. Residents gathered recently at New York Avenue Park to show support for the maternity unit ahead of Wednesday's hearing, arguing families across St. Lawrence County should not lose access to local obstetrical care.

North Star officials have said the Labor and Delivery unit has experienced declining birth volumes while losing more than $3 million annually. Hospital leaders say the proposed closure is part of a broader restructuring plan intended to keep the health system operating during bankruptcy.

The Department of Health will make the final decision after reviewing testimony from Wednesday's hearing and written public comments submitted during the comment period.

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