Hudson Regional Health announced plans to close Heights Unviersity Hospital in Jersey City last night, drawing reactions from mayoral candidates Ward E Councilman James Solomon and Jim McGreevey.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Unfortunately, despite best efforts by the leadership at Hudson Regional Hospital, it was informed this afternoon that the State will not be providing the critical funding needed to sustain the operations of Heights University Hospital,” HRH CEO Dr. Nizar Kifaieh said in a statement.
“This will result in an interruption in tomorrow’s payroll processing and compromises its ability to execute the stabilization plan it was in the process of implementing. This includes our recent plans to operate a stand-alone emergency department, multi-specialty service practice and behavioral health. As a result, Heights University Hospital has filed a Certificate of Need for Closure with the Department of Health.”
The hospital was one of three acquired by HRH from CarePoint Health as part of a bankruptcy proceeding this past spring and has the Heights hospital has been on shaky ground for the past couple of months, with HRH citing $60 million in operating losses.
Solomon said last month HRH was trying to close the hospital in favor of a 10-story luxury development, which HRH denied, though reiterating that they would need tens of millions of dollars from the state to remain open, as HCV first reported.
“This is unacceptable: We must have healthcare here in the Heights and you have my commitment to do everything in my power to make that happen. HRH is not following the legal procedure to close a hospital or reduce services in a hospital,” he said at a press conference last night.
“I want to be clear because that is crucially important: They are not following the legal process and so we are going to demand that they follow a legal process. What does that look like? … We are demanding, tonight, we are going to send a letter directly to Gov. Murphy and the commissioner of health, Brown, that they must file an emergency injunction in court, a temporary restraining order, to prevent the closure of the central services at Christ Hospital.”
Back in September, shortly after Heights University Hospital’s financial woes went public, the New Jersey Department of Healths said in a letter that “HRH cannot simply close a hospital overnight.”
McGreevey, who is running against Solomon in the December 2nd runoff, said that Jersey City should find a new operator for the Heights hospital immediately.
“Jersey City should launch a formal RFEI process to recruit world-class healthcare partners, including Weill Cornell, Columbia, NYU Langone, RWJBarnabas, Hackensack Meridian, and others, to operate a modern, full-service medical campus,” he said in a statement.
“The City can support this transition with capital-investment incentives, infrastructure support, streamlined permitting, and long-term land-use certainty. A mixed-use medical district, featuring hospital services, specialty clinics, behavioral health, senior care, education, and modest residential components, can create a financially sustainable ecosystem without sacrificing the city’s urgent and growing healthcare needs.”
He also called for an Emergency Healthcare Continuity Task Force with EMS, labor leaders, state regulators, community health provides, and hospital leadership to insure services are uninterrupted during the transition period.
A 45 Billion Dollar capital plan proposed by the Port Authority for capital improvements is OK
I guess closing a much needed hospital is OK too?