967 Bayonne University Hospital employees received layoff notices effective June 29th, though Hudson Regional Health (HRH) says this is standard operating procedure as they continue to transition towards full ownership of the hospital.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The New Jersey Department of Labor website acknowledged that Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices were sent to BUH employees this month.
” … HRH has reassured staff this ongoing process currently involves a transfer of ownership, license, and operating business, which triggered a legal requirement of a WARN notice as Bayonne’s employees will be transitioned to HRH’s new ownership. HRH does not anticipate any layoffs in June,” HRH spokesman Vijay Chaudhuri said in a statement.
“Over the past 15 months, HRH has invested tens of millions of dollars to enhance care at Bayonne University Hospital. HRH remains fully committed to advancing the hospital as a premier acute-care facility in the tri-state region.”
HRH officially took over the hospital, along with Christ Hospital in Jersey City and the Hoboken University Medical Center, from CarePoint Health about a year ago to settle a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, as HCV first reported.
Health Professional and Allied Employees (HPAE) President Debbie White emphasized that HRH’s word should be taken with a grain of salt, since they told a bankruptcy court that had the finances necessary to keep all three former CarePoint hospitals open.
“Despite HRH’s claims that they filed a WARN notice merely as a precautionary step during corporate restructuring, HPAE is taking this threat very seriously. This is an employer that refuses to follow law and has gone back on its word to workers, to the union and to the communities where its facilities operate several times over the past year,” she said this afternoon.
” … The claim that they sent out layoff notices as a precautionary measure while they restructure the company simply does not make sense. Such actions create confusion and concern on behalf of the workers and the community. If they plan to transfer the license to another operator, they must go through the Department of Health. If HRH intends to reduced services, as they have in Jersey City, we would, along with the community, challenge those actions. The Department of Health also regulates reduction of services.”
She added that the union plans to challenge any layoff notices related to restructuring.
Formerly the Bayonne Medical Center, the medical facility at 29 East 29th St. was rebranded as the Bayonne University Hospital in September, with an event scheduled to show off their upgraded lobby on April 22nd.
They also announced Dr. Vijayant Singh as their new chief hospital executive last month.
The WARN notices for BUH employees go public less than a month after Heights University Hospital, formerly Christ, closed on March 14th, with HRH citing $104 million in losses since they took over.
The Jersey City Council has since voted unanimously to explore eminent domain of the Heights hospital land, which is in the possession of Alaris Health owner Avery Eisenreich.
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) will host a public hearing at Heights University Hospital, 176 Palisade Ave., on April 15th from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. to hear residents’ feedback about the hospital closure.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with a comment from Health Professionals and Allied Employees President Debbie White.
