BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Residents hoping to keep Labor and Delivery services at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center are expected to gather tonight in a show of support for the hospital's maternity unit.

The community gathering will be held at 6 p.m. today at New York Avenue Park. Organizers are inviting residents, families and supporters to come together and share why local obstetrical care matters to them.

The event is part of a growing effort to stop North Star Health Alliance's plan to close the Labor and Delivery unit as it works through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

"Our local OB department is on the brink of closure, and our community cannot afford to lose this vital care," organizers said in announcing the event.

Participants are encouraged to share personal stories about how local maternity care has affected their families and why they believe the service should remain in Ogdensburg.

The gathering comes ahead of the state-required public hearing on the proposal, set for Wednesday, July 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ogdensburg Free Academy auditorium. Hospital officials will explain the reasons for the proposed closure, answer questions and hear public comments before the proposal is reviewed by the New York State Department of Health.

Residents who cannot attend the hearing in person will also be able to participate online through Google meet or by phone at https://meet.google.com/hdk-znis-sji and by phone at 1-678-453-6952; PIN: 854 373 313#

Written comments will also be accepted for one week following the hearing and submitted to the Department of Health as part of its review of the closure plan.

Opposition to the proposal has continued to build. Assemblyman Scott Gray, the New York State Nurses Association, local residents and others have urged state officials to reject the plan, arguing the loss of the only birthing center within 30 miles would make it harder for families across St. Lawrence County to access maternity care.

North Star Health Alliance officials say the Labor and Delivery unit has seen fewer births each year while losing more than $3 million annually. Hospital leaders say closing the department is part of a broader restructuring plan designed to keep the health system operating during bankruptcy.

The proposal cannot move forward without approval from the New York State Department of Health.

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