Jersey City Councilmen Joel Brooks, Tom Zuppa, and Jake Ephros are decrying the closure of Heights University Hospital “without New Jersey Department of Health approval.”
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“[We] condemn in the strongest terms possible the decision by Hudson Regional Health (HRH) to close Christ Hospital, now renamed Heights University Hospital, on Friday, Feb 27th, without New Jersey State Department of Health (DOH) approval,” the offices of the three councilmen said in a statement.
They called it “a local emergency for Wards C and D,” while Brooks is joining Zuppa and Ephros since this situation impacts the entire city.
Earlier today, the Health Professional and Allied Employees (HPAE), the union that represents hundreds of hospital workers in Hudson County, said they were informed by HUH that the facility will close for good Saturday at 7 p.m.
Hudson Regional Hospital, which operates their facility in Secaucus, HUH, Bayonne University Hospital, and the Hoboken University Hospital, has not yet publicly addressed the situation and a spokesman did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
Back in September, the NJDOH warned “HRH cannot simply close a hospital overnight,” with then-Ward E Councilman James Solomon – now the mayor – warning the following month that HRH would tear down the hospital in favor of luxury development, both as HCV first reported.
While HRH denied that claim at the time, they announced that they planned to close the HUH in November, keeping their emergency department operational for the short term.
Also in November, HRH owner Yan Moshe received approval from the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) to operate a cannabis grow facility at the former M9NJ building in Secaucus, though it did not come to light until recently.
“This decision will hit hardest in the neighborhoods and households that already face the greatest barriers to care: low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities, residents with chronic conditions, and immigrants and mixed-status families who may already be reluctant to seek care until a situation becomes dire,” the joint statement continued.
“It will also strain first responders and neighboring hospitals across Hudson County as patient volume and transport times rise. Hudson Regional Health claims that the ‘population’ in our neighborhoods did not provide enough demand for hospital services to continue, and that some former Christ Hospital patients are receiving care in Hoboken and at Jersey City Medical Center.”
The council offices also said this explanation was “insufficient,” given the hospital’s “years of notorious mismanagement” that led to facilities being shuttered, chastising them for continually not following NJDOH rules, even after getting fines $128,000 last month.
A spokeswoman for the NJDOH did not immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday afternoon.
“We are deeply concerned that HRH is placing profits over the needs of our citizens and dismantled healthcare access in the Heights in an attempt to profit from real estate development,” the joint statement continued.
“Even as HRH moved to shutter this facility, they hosted a high-end, luxury corporate party while announcing they’re on the brink of financial collapse. If the objective is to convert a vital healthcare facility into luxury development while residents are left with fewer options to see a doctor or access emergency care, that reflects priorities our offices cannot accept.”
Finally, Brooks, Ephros, and Zuppa proposed that both the county and the state collaborate to initiate a public takeover of the hospital at 176 Palisade Ave.
“We urge the New Jersey Department of Health, Governor Sherrill, and Mayor Solomon to take immediate action to save Christ Hospital, and come up with solutions for Christ Hospital to become a public hospital. We look forward to working proactively toward this end and winning great care for our community,” they concluded.
