MedStar Washington Hospital Center nurses hang banner, protest against planned closure of postpartum unit

RNs call on MedStar to support maternal health, keep beds open

Registered nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) in Washington, will hold a protest on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to raise concerns about patient safety and reduced access to maternal healthcare for D.C. residents, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) today.

Who: Registered Nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, D.C. community leaders
What: Protest for Maternal Health Safety
When: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 from 4-6 p.m.
Where: MedStar Washington Hospital Center, corner of Irving St. NW and First st St. NW

One in three babies born in the District is delivered at Washington Hospital Center. The closure of unit 5F, which will eliminate 11 vital maternal health beds and 8 nursing positions, is scheduled for July 26, 2026. Nurses were notified of the closure in May.

"It is hard to believe from census numbers that the beds are being closed simply because they are not needed as MedStar claims," said Mel Rode, RN in the postpartum unit. "Even just in the three years I have been on the unit, the increase in patient load we are seeing in the data is also felt by nurses on the unit. In addition, following the announcement of the impending closure, the MWHC chief nursing officer met with my unit and instructed us to ensure we are discharging patients quickly. This is a major safety concern as there have been innumerable patients that have had postpartum complications and health concerns on their second or third day after delivery. Reducing our capacity and pushing patients out threatens our ability to monitor them and provide a safe, healing environment."

DC Councilmember and Democratic mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George wrote in a statement on July 22, "I stand in solidarity with the nurses of MedStar Washington Hospital Center and urge MedStar leadership to immediately reverse its decision to close 11 postpartum beds…Nearly all of the DC residents who die during pregnancy or childbirth are Black. Reducing postpartum treatment capacity sends the wrong message at the wrong time."

Nurses spoke about the impact of the closure at a Maternal Health Roundtable in the District earlier this month. In a statement following the roundtable, Councilmember-at-Large Christina Henderson, chair of the Health Committee, wrote, "I am deeply concerned about MedStar Washington Hospital Center's decision to close one of its two postpartum maternity units later this month…I fear that this decision will result in more patients being turned away or having no choice but to deliver in emergency rooms, which carries a higher risk of complications."

NNOC/NNU represents more than 2,200 registered nurses at Washington Hospital Center.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.