Heights University Hospital has officially closed tonight following a failed “Hail Mary” court injunction by Jersey City, though Mayor James Solomon says they aren’t done fighting yet.
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
During a press conference at the former Christ Hospital just before 7:30 p.m., Solomon told reporters that earlier in the day he directed Corporation Counsel Sarah Levine to file a motion forcing HRH to keep HUH open, as HCV first reported.
He revealed that a judge unfortunately ruled against the motion allowing them to proceed with the closure.
“The people of Jersey City deserve significantly better than HRH. This is an example of a company that believes it is above the law, that has flouted the law every step of the way, and that closes hospitals illegally,” the mayor exclaimed.
According to Solomon, this is the first time in the history of New Jersey that a hospital has closed without following the law. Moving forward, the mayor said he is going to do everything in his power to return quality healthcare to the Heights.
“We have every option on the table, including the use of eminent domain. The people of Jersey City Heights deserve healthcare, they deserve high-quality healthcare … and they certainly don’t deserve it from a company that thinks their profits are more important than people,” he said in a subsequent statement.
Solomon said Jersey City are “rightfully mad and frustrated” because of HRH and corporations that act above the law, noting that he felt the administration and City Council did everything they could, as well as an appeal to the state with 33 Hudson County leaders.
“We were the only folks that filed a lawsuit to try to stop it, and now moving forward, we will do everything we can to return healthcare to the Heights and hold HRH accountable for their actions,” Solomon stated.
“Eminent domain is introduced when there is a public purpose, and our public purpose here is returning healthcare in Jersey City. So that is absolutely an option for the city that we will look at to be able to bring healthcare back.”
While the mayor expressed disappointment that the “Hail Mary” attempt to stop the closure through their injunction failed, he still vowed to keep fighting for healthcare in the Heights to return immediately, calling it a “matter of life and death.”
“Today is a tough day. I’m disappointed the judge ruled against us. To people who live in this community, my message is we’re going to keep fighting. We have a corporation that thought they were better than people, that their money mattered more than people’s lives,” Solomon added.
“It is up to the state to enforce state laws. Now the penalties are laughable, so they have to be changed. I wish we at the city had the ability to prosecute but we don’t.”
After the presser, Solomon told HCV that his next steps first thing tomorrow is to begin a planning process to determine how the city can get healthcare back.
Following the hospital closure, Ward D Councilman Jake Ephros denounced HRH, as well as Sherrill and the NJDOH for punting on the issue.
“Our council office is deeply disappointed by the closure of Christ Hospital and by the State’s and Governor Sherrill’s inaction in preventing it,” Ephros said in a statement after the hospital closed its doors.
“We applaud Mayor Solomon’s efforts to file an injunction, and we stand with our community and all healthcare workers at Christ Hospital. .. Our office is exploring all available options regarding Christ Hospital. Healthcare is a human right, and the health of our community must always come before profit.”
Additionally, the Hudson County Board of Commissioners are preparing an investigation into how the financial situation devolved at Heights University Hospital.
