Elizabeth Seton Childbearing Center (ESCbC) was forced to close its doors as of September 1, 2003. Due to an astronomical increase in malpractice insurance premiums, the birth center could not afford to operate. As a result of this closure, the birthing options of women in New York City and the surrounding region are severly limited. The Friends of ESCbC, an organization of staff members and volunteers ran this site during the closure and has now gone on to become The Friends of the Birth Center (http://www.friendsofthebirthcenter.org/) a non-profit organization dedicated to the return of a free standing birth center in Manhattan.
