The Chicago Maternity Centre Story

According to analysts, the main causes of the skyrocketing cost of healthcare are population aging and labor shortages. But the real culprits are the managers, financiers and insurers who have turned care into a callous money-making machine. The Chicago Maternity Center was one of the first victims of this development half a century ago.

Founded in 1899, the hospital helped over 100,000 women give birth safely at home. But after 75 years, it closed down when the charity that ran it decided to invest in a commercial hospital instead. There, giving birth cost five to ten times as much and was less safe.

Framed by the guitar riffs of Jimi Hendrix and funky basslines, The Chicago Maternity Center Story tells the story of this birthing center with an activist undertone, featuring the elderly but steadfast gynecologist Beatrice Tucker in the leading role. Young mothers praise the midwives who have been sidelined by the new management. Poor women of color in particular lose out under a system that puts profit above welfare.