Jersey City Ward E Councilman James Solomon, a candidate for mayor, blasted Hudson Regional Health, unveiling a letter and rendering indicating that the Heights University Hospital could close in favor of a luxury development project.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“They made promises: They made promises to keep the hospital open, to make sure healthcare remains in the Heights in Jersey City. This hospital here is so important for the future of healthcare here in Jersey City: We need to have this care here to serve the populations of Journal Square and the Heights,” he said at today’s press conference.
The downtown councilman began by reiterating a point that has been made by the Health Professionals and Allie Employees (HPAE), that HRH said they had the capital to keep CarePoint Health’s three hospitals operational when they acquired them via bankruptcy.
Now, about six months later, the formerly Christ Hospital is in serious danger of closing, with HRH CEO Dr. Nizar Kifaieh on Friday that a $2 million allocation from the New Jersey Department of Health is only enough for two more weeks of operations.
Solomon also asserted that HRH began to engage in “threats” and “bullying,” first by Kifaieh stating last month that the hospital would cut non-essential services in the next 30 days, which prompted the NJDOH to say “HRH cannot simply close a hospital overnight,” both as HCV first reported.
“HRH has doubled down on their strategy: That strategy is buying politicians, bullying the community, issuing more threats, all ultimately to line their pockets with money. And I’m proud as a candidate to stand up to that,” he added.
“I’m here to fight against that type of bullying, I fight against that type of development, so let’s talk about those two things: Buying politicians and bullying our community … In the last campaign filing, HRH poured money into the coffers of Jim McGreevey through Alaris Health.”
The mayoral hopeful went on to explain that Alaris Health gave $35,000 to McGreevey’s city council slate on September 30th, citing campaign finance reports.
Alaris Health owner Avery Eisenreich owns the land the Heights hospital sits on, therefore he would profit on any sort of redevelopment plan.
“I’m proud I don’t take money from developers, I don’t take money from folks like Alaris Health because we are not interested in selling out Jersey City to the highest bidder. This is more of the same,” he same pointing to a placard of the donation to Team McGreevey.
“This is what we have seen over and over again, it’s why Jersey City has developed as a luxury-only city without affordable housing. We are going to put an end to this pay-to-play practice where developers pour money into politicians to get what they want.”
Solomon continued that Kifaieh sent a letter to the Jersey City Division of Planning Director Tanya Marione on October 13th that stated they were submitting a two tower, 10-story redevelopment plan for Heights University Hospital.
The proposal includes a total of 2,200 units and 1,150 parking spaces between the two towers – one for 2,025 units and 1,025 parking spaces, the other for 175 units and 125 parking spaces.
“We fully believe that a new facility, replacing the outdated and failing hospital, paired with new services lines and revenue generating services, will provide the best possible care for Jersey City residents and generate the revenue needed to survive,” Kifaieh wrote.
“If a redevelopment plan is not available to secure a long-term solution for Heights University Hospital, we unfortunately must preserve our option to proceed forward with alternative proposals for the land, which is reflected in the attached concept plan.”
Kifaieh also requested a meeting in person to discuss the plan in more detail, none of which sat well with Solomon.
“As you can see in this rendering, is violates every principle of good city planning: It is quite literally a wall. A wall that would block the entire Heights from the views here. It is wrong, and it also signifies their intent to demolish the hospital purely for luxury development,” he declared.
“I want to repeat that, because that is ultimately their aim: Their aim is to demolish the hospital for luxury development.”
During a question and answer session with the media, Solomon said he feels that Kifaieh has been negotiating in bad faith to keep the hospital open, as well as stating that “we’re not that stupid” when it was posed that McGreevey was unaware of the Alaris donation, which he said he was returning.
“Returning this contribution ensures that my actions remain accountable to the people, free from any perceived influence,” the former governor said, adding that he has contacted Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) office and stood alongside healthcare workers in recent weeks.
“When the Heights needed action, I delivered. Unlike Councilman Solomon’s statements, my hands-on efforts – engaging state leaders, rallying with the community, and proposing actionable solutions – demonstrates the leadership our city deserves.”
Also Tuesday morning, HPAE President Debbie White again took HRH to ask over recently issued layoff notices.
“Hudson Regional sent lay-off notices to employees yet refuses to discuss their plan for HUH. Why? Because, we believe, they do not have a plan. Currently, we believe their plan is to simply threaten the N.J. Department of Health, lawmakers and the community with closure if they do not receive state funding,” she said in a statement.
“The HRH plea for a bailout at this time begs the question: Did HRH ever really intend to keep Heights Hospital open, or do they have their eye on a different prize?”
HRH responded to Solomon early this afternoon, claiming that his press conference was a campaign stunt.
“The baseless accusations from Councilman James Solomon are clearly misleading and an attempt to grab campaign headlines. In fact, we are doing the exact opposite of what he claimed; the notion that HRH’s $300 million investment into the system was a set-up flies in the face of reason and is beneath contempt,” they said.
“Despite these unprecedented investments – with a disproportionate amount invested in Heights University Hospital – we can say without hesitation that it cannot survive without public assistance. We are working tirelessly with our partners in government to secure the necessary funding to properly provide healthcare in the Heights and the surrounding area. Patient safety and health care access is the sole mission.”
Additionally, another mayoral candidate, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), said any future plan for Heights University Hospital must ensure they stay open, as well as that he’s the best guy to lead the city through such a difficult endeavor.
“Any discussions related to the future of Christ Hospital need to start with an ironclad, long term, permanent and enforceable guarantee of maintaining it as a full-service acute care hospital with the same or better level of services it has provided for 75 years. Any plan that would replace the hospital with an emergency room, urgent care center or other lesser facility is a non-starter,” he said.
“In order to get this situation resolved and ensure that Christ Hospital remains open, it’s clear that we need a Mayor who understands development and how to utilize all potential funding options … I’m the only candidate for Mayor with that kind of direct experience and knowledge in this area, and ensuring that Christ Hospital stays open will be an immediate priority of my administration.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated with comments from Jim McGreevey, Hudson Regional Regional Health, and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2).
