Hudson electeds & CarePoint workers say hospitals must stay open, some want probe

Hudson County elected officials joined CarePoint Health workers and union leaders in a rally asking for their three hospitals to stay open at all costs, with some speakers calling for an investigation into their finances.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“You’ve heard the issue here: CarePoint has received a lot of money from the State of New Jersey and now they’re in trouble again. We’ve heard this story, we’ve seen this movie before. I really think it’s time for some state intervention to come in here and do a forensic audit of where all this money has gone,” began New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech.

“It’s a shame that not only do our nurses and all the other professionals that work in the hospital have to suffer through this … these were the same people that only two years ago, stayed here around the clock to make sure that this hospital stayed open and all the residents were taken care of. And CarePoint: This is a nice way of saying thank you! I think the present CEO of this hospital should resign immediately!”

The presser, held at the corner of Church Square Park, which is right across the street from the Hoboken University Medical Center, featured over a dozen speakers, who all agreed that the 2,602 workers across the three hospitals deserve better.

“This is about, squarely, the people of Hudson County, the employees of the hospitals, Christ Hospital, Bayonne Medical Center, and the Hoboken University Medical Center. To make sure we protect those employees, to make sure they have continued access to quality healthcare, to make sure we save this hospital,” began Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

“To make sure these hospitals not only survive, but that they thrive. We can do much better than just staying above water … We’re at a crisis point right now when we shouldn’t be. It’s because of historical mismanagement of the hospital.”

Bhalla, who was on the city council when the prior owners filed for bankruptcy in 2011, noted that he and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop both joined the volunteer nine-member CarePoint board so they could advocate for their residents directly.

To that end, he said that after they were not allowed to sit in on a meeting on Thursday, they had seats at the table at subsequent sessions held on Saturday, yesterday, and today just prior to the press conference starting.

“Healthcare in Hudson County is on life support in many ways. This is a serious moment and the last time we saw something similar is when Greenville [Hospital] closed and we had a support system to absorb those patients at that time … We’re at a point now where it is day to day, there’s no question about that,” added Fulop.

In a brief interview, the mayor, also a Democratic candidate for governor, elaborated on what he thinks is making this such an arduous and delicate process.

“You have a lot of competing interests with a lot of financial resources that have been litigious against each other for the better part of a decade, so there’s trust gaps on that front,” he explained.

“There’s funding gaps from the state and we’re trying to bridge all of those different huge chasms and they’re not easy to do, but I feel like there’s a path forward and we’re working really hard to do it.”

Representing the 32nd Legislative District, which includes a large stretch of Jersey City and all of Hoboken, Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez and Assemblyman John Allen vowed to be allies to hospital workers as well.

“You are the ones who put their health and safety on the line to get us through the pandemic! You are the ones who keep our cities alive and now basic rights like health insurance and being paid on time are under attack,” noted Ramirez, who also said her office has received numerous reports of broken medical equipment and a lack of supplies.

“Just a few short years ago, I stood nearly at this exact same spot, outside this hospital, where the entire community stood together to cheer and to celebrate our essential workers. And now … [we’re] defending the very jobs of the people we used to call essential: That is unacceptable,” exclaimed Allen.

Hudson County Commissioners Bill O’Dea (D-2) and Anthony Romano (D-5), the board chairman, noted that the governing body approved a resolution at a meeting earlier this month asking for the state to keep the hospitals open by any means necessary.

The Hoboken City Council did something virtually identical last month. On October 1st, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) told HCV that he would not allow Hudson County to become “a healthcare desert.”

O’Dea called it “a disgrace” that roughly 2,200 unionized healthcare workers are living with such uncertainty as the end-of-year holiday season approaches.

“Meanwhile, we have folks who have salaries and bonuses with six and seven zeroes in it, they’re sitting there … trying to figure out how to make more money and that’s a disgrace … Those that run this hospital need to be investigated: What mismanagement brought us to where we are today?” he questioned.

Furthermore, Hudson County Register Jeff Dublin said he would be forever indebted to the HUMC since they delivered one of his sons who was born prematurely, while Hoboken 1st Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano stated that a densely populated city needs a fully functioning hospital for its infrastructure to survive.

In a statement, CarePoint Chief of Staff and Vice President, Marketing, Strategy & Patient Experience Justin Drew declined to get into the particulars of their current financial restructuring that is increasingly expected to lead to Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as HCV first reported.

However, he said their goal is to keep the hospitals open, but that is going to require a group effort.

” … These hospitals are not just healthcare providers. They are lifelines for the uninsured, underinsured, and marginalized. At the end of the day, our primary goal is to ensure that our hospitals can continue to serve our communities in Hudson County with the highest quality of care while remaining a trusted employer of thousands of local residents,” he said.

“We are dedicated to continuing our mission, but we need the support of the state and our local leaders to make it possible. The time to act is now. Our community’s health—and the future of CarePoint Health—depends on all of us and we greatly appreciate the support from our unions who are committed to helping make sure their voices are heard …”