Pushing back against what Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health said earlier today, CarePoint Health has indicated they’re “ready, willing, and able” to continue negotiating the sales of Christ Hospital and the Hoboken University Medical Center.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“CarePoint Health appreciates the efforts by Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Councilman Michael Yun to intervene and try to keep the dialogue open. All along we have approached negotiations with good-faith, and our priorities have always been our patients, employees and community,” CarePoint said in a statement.
This morning, Mayor Steven Fulop revealed that he had sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) seeking his intervention in the matter since the closure of Christ Hospital in Jersey City may now be “imminent.”
Shortly after that, RWJBH said that CarePoint rejected their offers for Christ Hospital and the Hoboken University Medical Center, despite both parties signing a non-binding letter of intent in October.
However, CarePoint is asserting that they are still willing to negotiate and complete the sales.
“CarePoint Health was and remains ready, willing and able to close in accordance to the letter of intent that CarePoint Health and RWJ Barnabas Health heavily negotiated and signed in October. CarePoint Health welcomes the opportunity to return to negotiations. We hope direct involvement by state and local leaders will help the negotiations.â€
The LOI was announced just one day after Hudson County officials expressed concerns about the Bayonne Medical Center closing.
While the future of the BMC has remained in limbo since then, CarePoint has accused Alaris Health of interfering with the sales in hopes of purchasing the BMC and converting it into a nursing home.
Alaris, whose owner has also purchased the properties where the BMC and HUMC sit, has responded in a counterclaim by alleging that the owners of CarePoint embezzled millions as their hospitals continued to lose money, echoing the claims made by the New Jersey Commission of Investigation back in March.
