November 18, 2008 Supporters rally to save Beverly birth center Play video

(NECN: Kristen Caira, Beverly, Mass.) - The rising cost of malpractice insurance could force two birthing centers out of business in Massachusetts. Dozens of protesters gathered outside Beverly Hospital this morning.

Trustees of Northeast Health System were scheduled to meet this morning to discuss the future of the North Shore Birth Center, which serves women with low-risk pregnancies who wish to give birth naturally in a quiet setting.

Nearly 100 babies are born each year at the 28-year-old facility, one of only two freestanding birth centers in Massachusetts.

Northeast Health, which also owns the hospital, issued a statement earlier this month saying it was evaluating services at the center because of the significant rise in malpractice premiums.

*Material from the Associated Press used in this report*