Jersey City, N.J.-based Hudson Regional Health’s Heights University Hospital, also in Jersey City, said it will launch a stabilization plan to ensure continued operations at the facility amid financial challenges.
“Over the coming days, we will ensure that emergency services remain active at Heights University Hospital, including an emergency room, critical care and medical-surgical services, adequate operating rooms, behavioral health and others, while winding down a limited number of nonessential services,” Nizar Kifaieh, MD, CEO and president of Hudson Regional Health, said in an Oct. 22 statement shared with Becker’s. “All current patients will continue receiving uninterrupted care and HRH will fully comply with state regulations throughout this process.”
Dr. Kifaieh said the majority of affected employees will be offered continued employment within Hudson Regional Health, and the system will host job fairs. He also expects the stabilization plan will receive state support.
The news comes after the state provided $2 million in stopgap funding for Heights University in mid-October to help maintain operations. However, the facility is reportedly losing $1.5 million per week, and hospital officials stressed that without funding and a long-term stability plan, the hospital faces suspension of services and closure.
In late September, Hudson Regional, a four-hospital system that was created in late May as part of CarePoint Health System’s bankruptcy exit, said it would stop nonessential services at Heights University should it not secure funding from the state or other government bodies.
State Sens. Raj Mukherji and Brian Stack said they would back a $25 million supplemental appropriation to address the hospital’s financial challenges.
