Op-Ed: ‘Hudson Regional Health is writing their own story for our residents’

In an editorial, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, also the Democratic nominee for state Assembly in the 32nd Legislative District, explains why he supports Hudson Regional Hospital rebranding and taking over CarePoint Health’s facilities.

n Washington D.C., we are seeing healthcare access for countless Americans come under brutal assault from Republican leadership.

Thanks to the recent Republican federal tax bill, tens of million Americans could lose access to their healthcare, to reward their billionaire donors and provide tax breaks for the richest of the rich.

The gutting of healthcare coverage, for those who can least afford to lose it, should draw or collective outrage.

In the face of federal inaction, or even sabotage, it also makes it even more critical for cities and states to ensure every resident, regardless of income levels or coverage, has access to the care they need to live with dignity.

Simply put, equal access to quality and affordable health care is a fundamental human right.

Here in Hudson County, Hudson Regional Health (HRH) is writing their own story for our residents. Just recently, HRH emerged from bankruptcy and took over services from CarePoint Health with a new name, a new mission, and a bold new vision.

In just a few months, HRH has expanded service lines at Hoboken University Medical Center, invested tens of millions of dollars into its facilities and services and – quite literally – saved a hospital system that was days away from closing for good.

As a Board Member of Carepoint, I bore witness to this truth: HRH literally saved Hoboken’s hospital when it was on the verge of collapse. This was an act of risk, courage and care that should be celebrated by our community.

In my observation as a Board Member for about a year now, HRH and its leadership truly are unsung heroes of healthcare in Hudson County. It’s a story that deserves to be told and amplified.

With hospitals across the country at serious risk of closing due to Medicaid cuts, HRH is quite literally reversing the trend in Hudson County. To the contrary, we are witnessing a healthcare comeback – and thankfully, HRH has a proven playbook.

When Hudson Regional Health acquired Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus in 2018, the facility was on the brink of collapse. Years of mismanagement – similar to CarePoint in Hudson County – eroded public trust and drained financial resources.

But under the leadership of Chairman Yan Moshe and CEO Dr. Nizar Kifaieh, the hospital was revitalized with a renovated facility, new technology, and millions of dollars of upgrades.

Fast forward to today, it is now recognized as one of the top tier hospitals in the region.

That turnaround didn’t happen by accident. It required a clear vision: to build a hospital where regular, everyday people could receive the best possible care, from emergency room visits to specialty services.

That vision became a reality, with a 129% increase in medical and surgical procedures, 179% increase in ICU visits, and a 202% increase in patient revenue since the 2018 takeover – a vast improvement that cannot be understated.

Now, HRH is bringing that same proven model to Hoboken, Bayonne, and Jersey City.

Already, they’ve stabilized the CarePoint system in Hoboken by restoring critical medical equipment items, investing in new dialysis equipment, entering into dozens of new vendor contracts, and re-launching the robotic surgery program that was previously shuttered.

It’s a striking contrast: just as we are launching our own, new healthcare system in Hoboken, Republicans are needlessly stripping coverage from millions of Americans.

It’s all the more important for local leaders to step up when our federal leaders are shirking responsibility.

Because the truth is, quality healthcare access should be available to everyone, from the uninsured to the insured, from those living at the poverty level to the wealthy, and everyone in-between.

That’s exactly the vision of Hudson Regional Health, and one that I’m fully confident will benefit our City for many years to come.

This is how we write our own chapter and protect our residents the best way we know how. And I am proud that Hoboken will be part of that story.

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla