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NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi is seeking state approval to modernize its maternity unit, which includes bringing the postpartum area to its full capacity, according to plans filed with the New York State Department of Health this summer.
The $17.3 million project, which requires administrative review from the state, would bring the postpartum unit’s capacity to 26 certified maternity beds, up from 23 beds, according to the plans. NYC Health + Hospitals, the city’s municipal health system, added that Jacobi Medical Center is certified for the full 26 beds but hasn’t been running at full capacity.
“As a part of our ongoing commitment to women’s health we are expanding the Jacobi maternity ward from one unit to two to ensure that all those who give birth at Jacobi can do so in single occupancy rooms,” NYC Health + Hospitals spokesperson Chris Miller said in an email to Healthcare Brew.
The state health department didn’t return a request for comment.
The anticipated renovation at the Bronx hospital would help ensure patients “receive equitable healthcare and [enable] the hospital to provide an improved patient experience,” according to the plans.
Of the five boroughs, the Bronx has one of the worst maternal mortality rates, with 255.3 deaths per 10,000 deliveries as of 2021. NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi is located in Community Board 11, which is one of five areas in the Bronx with the highest maternal mortality rates.
In 2021, more than 90% of residents in the Bronx identified as Black or Latino—two demographics that are more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, or in the year after a baby is born, according to a 2021 Black Maternal Mortality Task Force Report from the Bronx Borough President’s Office.