The New Jersey Department of Health sent a financial monitor notice regarding CarePoint Health’s three hospitals on Friday, the same day a planned merger with Hudson Regional Hospital was announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
” … If the Commissioner determines that a hospital is in financial distress, then the Commissioner may provide notice to the mayors, city administrators, and other local officials who represent the region in which the hospital is located,” New Jersey Deputy Commissioner of Health Robin Ford wrote in three nearly identical letters to Bayonne, Hoboken, and Jersey City officials on January 12th.
“Such notice was provided to your delegation in an October 2023 letter. Pursuant to that same law, the Commissioner may appoint a financial monitor. In such a case, the Commissioner shall provide notice of the appointment of the monitor to the mayor, city administrator, and members of the Legislature who represent the municipality in which the hospital is located within 30 days of making the appointment.”
The letter was sent to the mayors, business administrators, city clerks, and state legislative representatives for the three Hudson County cities where the Bayonne Medical Center, Hoboken University Medical Center, and Christ Hospital (Jersey City) are located.
In October, Ford sent a letter indicating a “high concern with respect to financial distress” at the HUMC, as HCV first reported, with a similar letters penned about the BMC and Christ Hospital
On Friday morning, CarePoint and HRH, who had been feuding over who would run the three aforementioned hospitals since June 2020, announced a planned merger under the name Hudson Health System, which would also end all pending litigation involved the two parties.
The move comes shortly after CarePoint announced significant financial woes, indicating that they would need $130 million on state funding to continue operating “at an optimal pace.”
This also came after several vendors filed lawsuits for non-payment.
The merger will still require approval from the NJ DOH, who did not return an email seeking comment.
CarePoint spokesman Phil Swibinski acknowledged that the financial monitor is in place, but did not reply to questions asking when they learned about the appointment and what the impact on the intended team up with HRH would be.
“CarePoint Health has always been open to engaging with members of the community and key stakeholders in constructive dialogue based around a shared commitment to improving health care in Hudson County, and we have already had productive conversations with the appointed state monitor around that goal,” Swibinski said in an email.
“With significant demands on the system related to increased charity care and higher costs at our safety net hospitals that bear the burden of caring for the uninsured and underinsured, we look forward to continuing to advocate for solutions that will improve patient outcomes over the long term as we work cooperatively to build the kind of hospital network that Hudson County deserves.”
Thank goodness this situation is finally over. A deal was made. And yes, the voices were heard now…..Hudson regional is in charge, so I am sure we will see a significant change in the operations and care that is given to patients and their family and friends. Kudos to all those who spoke out initially when the city of BAYONNE wanted to take over the hospital, thank goodness that deal didn’t go through. We would really be up the creek without a paddle wouldn’t we thanks to all those who voiced the objections initially at several meetings regarding CarePoint and BAYONNE hospital. Congratulations to Hudson regional and I am sure many residents in the city of BAYONNE. Most importantly, though thank you to Hudson regional for not giving up and pursuing the rights and care of all the people involved in this new facility. I along with many Look forward to your new and improved care and technology that is so desperately needed.
Hospitals deemed in “distress” and “saved” by combining is not any solution. Such an approval itself is questionable. The financial dynamics have not changed. The medical system is overwhelmed with non-paying clients and non-citizens who can’t be billed or made to pay a dime.
NJ taxpayers are paying the rising costs and the can is kicked a bit further down the road. Apparently, Democrats believe this is a solution while they continue with their anti-American, illegal human trafficking across the US border under their (and the Mexican Drug Cartels) control.
CarePoint has been driven to destitution by the CEO Achintya Moulick. He can not and will not prove to the state that the former owners are no longer involved with CarePoint, because they are. Buried under a mountain of paperwork, legal documents and LLCs the owners are still there, the ones barred from being involved with healthcare in NJ. still sucking off funds from the hospital and the state has had enough. When these hospitals close, and they WILL close, you can all thank Achintya Moulick for protecting these criminals and his personal income stream (2+ mil salary, condo at the W, trips to Europe, etc) for sinking healthcare in Hudson County and putting a few thousand people out of a job, all to protect his bloated salary. He turned down 3 offers to sell CarePoint because all 3 came with a stipulation that he was to be unemployed. Thanks Achintya!
hope you never are in financial distress and need healthcare
and what are you talking about with migrants and healthcare in NJ.