The basics:
- Hudson Regional Health plans to suspend ER services at Heights University Hospital in Jersey City March 14
- City leaders pass emergency resolution condemning closure, urging state intervention
- Officials warn move could leave Jersey City short hospital capacity, limit access to emergency care
- Hudson Regional Health cites financial losses, says it will maintain other health services in the Heights
Hudson Regional Health will move forward with plans to suspend emergency department services at Heights University Hospital in Jersey City March 14. The closure comes despite mounting opposition from local officials and labor groups.
The health system acquired the former Christ Hospital out of bankruptcy in April 2025. It says steep financial losses drive the latest move. According to Hudson Regional Health, it has invested more than $100 million in the facility, but absorbed steep losses. It expects another $30 million deficit this year amid Medicaid cuts, reduced Charity Care funding, rising numbers of uninsured patients and declining emergency room usage.
If the emergency department closes, Hudson Regional Health says it will maintain other health care services in the Heights. It also plans to expand partnerships with community providers.
Alliance Community Healthcare, a federally qualified health center, plans to operate services from space at the hospital’s medical office building on Palisade Avenue. The system also said it will station an ambulance outside the emergency department for two weeks to transport patients to other facilities. It will also deploy a mobile health unit in the community.
A ‘critical’ community hospital
The closure would take effect on March 14 at 7:30 p.m.
It comes after Hudson Regional Health previously extended emergency department operations at the site through March 14, following requests from Jersey City officials and discussions with the New Jersey Department of Health.
City leaders, however, continue to push back forcefully.
On Wednesday night, the Jersey City Council passed an emergency resolution condemning the planned closure and urging state intervention.
“This closure is unacceptable, and an injunction to prevent this reckless action must be put in place,” Mayor James Solomon said. “HRH is attempting to shutter a critical community hospital before the full public review process for a hospital closure can even be completed, and without any adequate plan for replacing emergency and critical care services in the Heights. Just one year ago, HRH’s own CEO said the future was bright for patients in the Heights.
Just one year ago, HRH’s own CEO said the future was bright for patients in the Heights. Now they are pulling the rug out from under an entire community.
— Jersey City Mayor James Solomon
“Now they are pulling the rug out from under an entire community. Immediate injunctive relief to stop this from happening and allow us to come up with a better plan that best serves our residents.”
Jersey City officials say the loss would leave the city significantly short of hospital capacity, noting that a city of more than 300,000 residents typically requires at least 700 beds, while Jersey City Medical Center has roughly 350.
Creating a health care desert
Ward D Councilmember Jake Ephros said the closure would leave many residents without nearby emergency care.
“Health care is a human right. The closure of Christ Hospital directly threatens our community members in Ward D who will find themselves in a healthcare desert,” said Ephros. “This means extended travel times during emergencies, which puts lives at risk. I am emphatic in my calls for the state to step in and do all that is necessary to keep the ED running, and to hold HRH accountable for their gross misconduct as operators of the hospital.”
Debbie White, president of Health Professionals & Allied Employees, also called for action from state officials.
“We strongly support the Mayor and Council’s efforts to hold HRH accountable for illegally closing Christ Hospital,” White said. “This employer has repeatedly violated laws and any penalty has failed to dissuade them from taking further illegal action. It seems that their business ventures come first even if it may put patients’ lives at risk. Our union members and our patients expect that the government will hold hospitals accountable when they put patients and workers in harm’s way.”
The resolution calls on Gov. Mikie Sherrill and the state attorney general to seek an immediate court injunction to stop the closure. It also asks the state to place the hospital into emergency receivership to maintain emergency department operations.
Additionally, it demands that NJDOH conduct a full community health needs assessment — funded by Hudson Regional Health — before any closure can proceed, while condemning what city leaders describe as mismanagement of the hospital.
People over profits
On Thursday afternoon, Solomon, other officials and key stakeholders gathered outside Christ Hospital for a press conference.
“We stand here today in front of Christ Hospital, because the people of Jersey City and the people of Jersey City Heights deserve high-quality, accessible health care in their community – and they deserve leadership who fights for them, not for corporations that value their bottom line more than people’s health,” said Solomon. “Two days from now, Hudson Regional Health intends to close these doors and we are here to say, not without a fight.”
Solomon urged state leaders to pursue legal action to halt the closure and enforce the state’s hospital closure process.
“We’re calling on Gov. Sherrill and the attorney general to file an immediate court injunction to stop this closure before HRH can shut the doors,” said Solomon. “To be clear, that is the law.
“You cannot close a hospital on your own whims. There is a law and a process and procedures that must be followed – and we must make the law mean something.”
Seeking financially stable solutions
Hudson Regional Health says it remains committed to maintaining health care access in the community and exploring future investment in the area.
“HRH appreciates, and shares Mayor James Solomon’s vision for continued health care access in the Heights, and leadership remains committed to exploring ways to invest in a brand-new healthcare facility that can provide far improved, modern care in a way that is financially sustainable,” Vijay Chaudhuri, vice president of external affairs and community relations for Hudson Regional Health, told NJBIZ in a statement.
In a statement to NJBIZ, Maggie Garbarino, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said:
“Hudson Regional Health has routinely circumvented statutory and regulatory requirements throughout the process of closing Heights University Hospital, accruing tens of thousands of dollars in penalties owed to the State – which we intend to collect. As Heights University Hospital illegally closes its Emergency Department, we are working to inform the community of this abrupt closure and mitigate any negative impacts.
“New Jersey Department of Health staff are actively engaged to ensure patient safety and access to care, and ambulances will be on site to redirect any patients as needed. The Sherrill administration is committed to ensuring this does not happen again, and the governor will be pursuing legislation to give the State more tools to hold health care facilities accountable to the patients and communities they serve.”
Please stay with NJBIZ for the very latest on this developing story.
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