The future of the Bon Secours Maternity Ward is under the microscope at a public hearing. The center could be closing. One group updated concerned citizens at a forum. Our Elaina Athans has more.

PORT JERVIS, N.Y. -- "There's an urgent need for this facility," said attorney Michael Sussman, from the Orange County Democratic Alliance.

The Orange County Democratic Alliance fighting hard to keep the Bon Secours maternity ward open. It could be closing. The Democratic Alliance just met with State Department of Health and members are lobbying for agency to step in.

"Women are basically insisting on having babies there," said Sussman."They are still obliged to provide a full range of services to women. They have absolutely no ability to stop or limit this.”

A dip in deliveries, the Democratic Alliance said, is Bon Secours' reason behind a shut down.

We reached out to a hospital representative for comment. The call was not returned.

A closure would mean moms-to-be from the Port Jervis area would have to travel to Orange Regional Medical Center to deliver their babies. The two facilities are located about 25 miles apart.

“I was born there. My kids were born there," said Sparrow Bush resident Kathy Little.

Little is a local school teacher and says it would be a big problem for expecting parents to drive that far.

"If we don’t have this available there will be so many, people without cars. I know my own students, they have no transportation or their parents don’t, said Little.

For right now, doctors are still doing deliveries in the maternity ward. The Democratic Alliance says the Department of Health is doing some work of its own.

"The Department of Health has been here almost all week auditing what is actually going on this facility," said Sussman.