Re-birthday at AMH

AUBURN - In another community, it could have just been any other day at the obstetrics and gynecology department, but for many Cayuga County residents, the re-opening of Auburn Memorial Hospital's maternity program was a family celebration, complete with the pink, white and blue balloons and teddy bears.

“We came here because we were born here together, and our sons were born here,” said Dorothy Dickman, who was at the obstetrics and gynecology re-birthday party celebration on Wednesday. “We even brought our birth certificates to prove it. My husband (Richard Dickman) and I were only born four hours and 15 minutes apart.”

For the Dickmans, and several other residents who were born in the hospital, the re-opening of the program, which was told to shut down more than a year ago by the state in order to save money, represented both the growth of the hospital and the community.