The Jersey City and Hoboken hospitals owned by CarePoint Health are expected to be purchased by Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health, though the future of the Bayonne Medical Center still remains uncertain at the moment.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
In a joint statement, CarePoint and RWJBH announced that a non-binding letter of intent had been signed and the latter is expected to take over Christ Hospital and the Hoboken University Medical Center by the end of the year.
“The LOI is the first step in the process of evaluating and designing a new relationship that will enhance health care services for Hudson County and North Jersey,” the two company’s said in a joint statement.
“Both parties will now engage in a due diligence process to define the specifics of the relationship. Approvals will be necessary from State and Federal officials, and others, before the transaction is considered complete.”
In his own statement, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla expressed confidence in RWJBH making the commitment to keep the HUMC open.
“I’m very pleased that RWJBarnabas intends to continue offering high quality healthcare at the Hoboken University Medical Center. The hospital serves a critical need to both the residents of Hoboken and the surrounding communities in Hudson County, and must continue to operate in our City,” he said.
“My office has received multiple assurances that any prospective transaction will not impact the continuation of medical services or employment at the hospital, and we will continue to work closely with both CarePoint and RWJBarnabas to ensure that this occurs. Thank you to Toni Tomarazzo for serving as a critical link from the City to the Hoboken Hospital Board and both healthcare providers.â€
Additionally, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione also took the news in a positive light.
“For many years CarePoint and Christ Hospital have provided critical, and even lifesaving, services to our residents. We’ve also had a working great relationship with RWJBarnabas and we welcome all opportunities to enhance healthcare services,” she said.
Meanwhile, the future of the Bayonne Medical Center is not as definitive yet, with CarePoint noting that they have “initiated a separate process seeking a strategic partner for Bayonne Medical Center.”
A source with knowledge of the situation, who spoke under the condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to speak on the matter, said that CarePoint is currently weighing offers from multiple partners.
The announcement comes one day after Bayonne officials convened on the lawn of the BMC to denounce any plan that would lead to the local medical center’s closure.
In a statement, Mayor Jimmy Davis denounced today’s announcement as an “outright betray” of the residents of Bayonne, noting that yesterday CarePoint and RWJBH seemed to be in agreement that no deal was in place.
“This pending deal between CarePoint Health and RWJ Barnabas Health reeks of an outright betrayal of our City and is certainly not good news for Bayonne Medical Center and our residents,” he said.
“Yesterday, we were told that there was no deal to sell off CarePoint’s hospitals and today we learn that this was simply false. The fight to save our hospital is only just beginning.â€
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with a comment from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione.
In my opinion, Carepoint in Hoboken has been a horrible place since it took over under political circumstances. Care is terrible and conditions in the hospital are sub par. RJW is a reputable hospital group. Just changing the name will not change the terrible care offered at HUMC. Let’s hope RJW can clean up the mess.