Jersey City, N.J.-based Hudson Regional Health has closed its Heights University Hospital, also in Jersey City, but the facility’s 24/7 emergency department remains open for now, a spokesperson for the system confirmed with Becker’s.
Nizar Kifaieh, MD, CEO, Hudson Regional Health, said in a Nov. 13 statement shared with Becker’s, that hospital employees would also see interruption to the Nov. 14 payroll process.
The news comes after Hudson Regional filed a certificate of need to close the hospital with the state department of health in mid-November after failing to secure critical funding from the state.
A spokesperson for the state department of health said in a Nov. 17 statement shared with Becker’s that the certificate of need application is still under review by the department. However, Heights University Hospital has closed its acute care services without its approval.
“The State will continue its oversight to ensure the emergency room remains functioning. At this time, Hudson Regional Hospital reports the emergency department remains operational 24/7,” the statement said. “As a regulator, our role is to ensure that hospitals are providing quality care and maintaining the full range of acute care services required by Certificate of Need and under an Acute Care Hospital License. We will continue to hold Heights University Medical Center and Hudson Regional Hospital accountable through this closure with patient health and safety as our top priority.”
During a Nov. 14 press conference, Dr. Kifaieh and Adam Alonso, chief strategist for Hudson Regional Health, said the closure will impact around 120 employees.
“We’ve made the commitment to continue to operate a standalone emergency department, which continues to operate today and will continue to operate into the future,” Mr. Alonso said during the press conference. “We will continue to provide healthcare out of our auxiliary building and provide multi service care and other health care related services from that site. We’re disappointed that this hospital is not going to continue as it has been for many decades in this community, but we remain extremely committed to providing health care to the heights, region and community.”
Dr. Kifaieh said the four-hospital health system has upwards of 300 open positions available.
The news comes after Hudson Regional asked the state for at least $18 million in late October to keep Heights University operational, warning that without a decision by Nov. 10, further downsizing or full closure could occur.
Hudson Regional Health, which was created in May after CarePoint Health’s bankruptcy exit, rolled out a stabilization plan for Heights University Hospital in late October that phased out nonessential services and shifted some staff to other facilities.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Nov. 17 at 3:25 p.m. Central time.
