Save Christ Hospital

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Archived News 2011

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Christ Hospital to be sold to Hudson Holdco

In Federal Court today in Newark, Judge Morris Stern awarded Christ Hospital to Hudson Hospital Holdco, as the buyer with the "highest and best" offer, which was approved by the Christ Hospital Board yesterday.

While there is much we might still wish for, Save Christ Hospital can be proud of what we accomplished. As a result of our efforts, this sale is on significantly better terms than offered by Prime, or by either bidder initially.

The sale now includes a lengthy commitment to operate as an acute care hospital, retention of 100% of nurses and 90% of all staff, and assumption of accrued paid time off.

Holdco also committed to reach agreements with all Medicaid HMOs, helping ensure coverage for many low-income patients.

Now we must consider how to build-in safeguards to ensure these commitments are met, and get additional health care and asset protections through the state review process.

Following the outcome of today's hearing, Hudson Holdco principals reached out to us and offered to work together. Save Christ Hospital wishes them well, and will seek continued involvement to see that community needs are represented in hospital services.

Thanks for your support and hard work which had a huge impact on this process.

See the Save Christ Hospital Press Release on the sale of Christ Hospital to Hudson Holdco, 3/27/12.

Monday, March 19, 2012

A brief editorial

In all likelihood, today sees the determination of the new owner of Christ Hospital. Throughout the past few months, our community coalition has sought to educate ourselves and others. We have listened to one another, and found ready agreement among ordinary citizens, grassroots organizations, and elected leaders. We are all agreed that we wish to see a long-term future for Christ Hospital, its redevelopment as a hospital, and good jobs for its current workforce.

The reality of the legal process is, though, that aside from certain constraints set by the bankruptcy court, whichever bidder shows up with the biggest pile of money will likely prevail.

Save Christ Hospital hopes that buyer will be responsive to community concerns, and that their proposal will in fact address the Principles for Christ Hospital's Future that we outlined and which so many of our elected officials endorsed. We would rather move forward quickly with a redevelopment plan that speaks meaningfully to these concerns. But we must also be prepared to engage with the new buyer and our state officials to ensure that the CHAPA process protects community interests.

We wish the new buyer well, and commit to standing with our partners, especially those who work at Christ Hospital, to keep Christ Hospital focused on its historic mission of health care to all residents of our community, and to save Christ Hospital for future generations.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Thank You, Hudson County!

Thank you to the 100+ community members who came out tonight to hear very interesting presentations from Jersey City Medical Center and Bayonne/Hoboken Medical Centers. Both organizations deserve credit for engaging with the community and sharing their vision of health care in Hudson County and at Christ Hospital.

Special thanks to our elected officials who came out to express their support: Sen. Brian Stack, Asm. Jason O'Donnell, Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari, Councilwomen Viola Richardson and Nidia Lopez, and Freeholder Anthony Romano.

Also expressing their support: Asm. Ruben Ramos, Councilmen Steven Fulop, Rolando Lavarro, and David Donnelly, and the entire Board of Chosen Freeholders, who tonight passed a resolution endorsing Save Christ Hospital's Principles for Christ Hospital's Future.

Stay tuned for updates, as much will be happening over the next two weeks.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Principles for Christ Hospital's Future

Through listening to feedback from our community meeting and in our neighborhood groups, Save Christ Hospital has developed a Statement of Principles which we believe represent the future for Christ Hospital and our community.

It is not enough to have vague promises that Christ Hospital will remain a hospital. Our community needs a strong, sustainable, revitalized Christ Hospital that preserves and even enhances the hospital's basic mission.

We have invited many elected officials to stand with our community groups and individual residents of our neighborhoods to endorse these principles. We are pleased to announce that Senator Brian Stack and Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop have been the first to respond and support these goals. We are hopeful that many others will join in and stand as a unified community in advocating for Christ Hospital's future.

PRINCIPLES FOR CHRIST HOSPITAL'S FUTURE
As one of the anchor institutions of its neighborhood, the reorganization and sale of Christ Hospital will affect our community for generations to come.

As community members, leaders, and organizations, we seek a strong and sustainable Christ Hospital that is consistent with its historic charitable mission. We want any sale or reorganization plan to be focused on the delivery of accessible health care based on community need, to produce quality health outcomes, and to be a vital part of our regional economy.

We endorse the following principles for any sale or reorganization plan.

It should be an open, public process, with meaningful community participation in both the reorganization planning and implementation.
It should include binding commitments of service and staffing levels, and specific job commitments for current hospital employees.
It should remain a health care facility in perpetuity, and have a lengthy commitment to maintain an acute care hospital.

Additionally, future planning for this region’s hospitals should be responsive to the health care needs in the community. We call for a community needs assessment as a complement to the 2011 Hospital Services Assessment.

You may endorse your own copy of these principles and bring it to our community meeting Thursday, March 8.

Thank you for your support for the health of our community.

ENDORSEMENTS:
Sen. Brian Stack (2/29)
Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham (3/12)
Asm. Ruben Ramos (2/29)
Asm. Jason O'Donnell (3/2)
Councilwoman Viola Richardson (3/5)
Councilman Rolando Lavarro (3/8)
Councilman Steven Fulop (2/27)
Councilwoman Nidia Lopez (3/7)
Freeholder Bill O'Dea (3/1)
The entire Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders (3/8)

COMMUNITY MTG 3/8 7pm

Following our successful meeting in December, the withdrawal of Prime Healthcare's bid, and the hospital's bankruptcy filing, Save Christ Hospital will be holding another community meeting. We will update you about the sale of Christ Hospital and the bankruptcy process, and demonstrate the strong community support for Christ Hospital's future. Elected officials will be asked to endorse our principles for the future of Christ Hospital.

Thursday 3/8 7pm
Second Reformed Church
940 Summit Ave at Zabriskie St
Flyer & Handbill

Invited guests:
Sen. Brian Stack (confirmed)
Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham
Mayor Jerramiah Healy
Assembly Members Connors, Ramos, Mainor, O’Donnell
Jersey City Council Members
See map:

View Larger Map

Parking is available at the Municipal lot, 1 block east on Central Ave at Griffith St.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Include the Community

SAVE CHRIST HOSPITAL CALLS ON CHRIST HOSPITAL BOARD
TO INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY IN REORGANIZATION PLANS

Jersey City, NJ, February 7, 2012 - The community coalition to Save Christ Hospital held a press conference today on the sidewalk outside the hospital. The group outlined goals for the hospital's reorganization, and called upon the hospital's Board of Trustees to make community participation a significant part of Christ Hospital's future.

Save Christ Hospital mobilized community groups and neighborhood residents, and focused attention on the deal to sell Christ Hospital to Prime Healthcare Services, a California for-profit company under investigation. That deal proved to be a bad deal for patients, the community, and hospital staff, and it collapsed under the scrutiny of state government and community leaders.

After having pursued this deal without giving consideration to other options, Christ Hospital's Board of Trustees has chosen to reorganize through the bankruptcy court. Bankruptcy is a big step. But it does not change the major issues facing the hospital and the community it serves.

Save Christ Hospital and the community which supports and depends on the hospital continues to call for:
+ Meaningful community participation in planning the hospital's future;
+ An open bidding process; and
+ Sale conditions which protect health care outcomes and community assets.

The Christ Hospital Board President, Rev. Geoff Curtiss, and CEO Peter Kelly have previously committed to meet with Save Christ Hospital, but have not scheduled that meeting. Following the press conference, Save Christ Hospital community members will deliver a letter to Board again seeking to work cooperatively with the Board in its reorganization plans.

Principal decision-making still rests in the Board‟s hands. Save Christ Hospital will work with the Board, state regulators, our elected officials, and potential buyers to achieve an outcome that is truly in the public interest.

QUOTES:

Paul Bellan-Boyer, Save Christ Hospital:
“It is time for the serious work of evaluating, envisioning, and rebuilding Christ Hospital for the future. One of the major problems with the questionable Prime deal was the failure to deal openly with the community and with other potential buyers. It became apparent that the single-minded pursuit of Prime prevented the timely emergence of other, potentially better, offers. While Mr. Kelly continues to try and spin away from the deal he championed, the community voice has been consistent in calling for an open process with substantive public participation.”

Jim Carroll, Ward D Civic Association:
“This community loves Christ Hospital and wants to support its future. But we can't do that if we're locked out. Community participation built Christ Hospital, and it can help rebuild Christ Hospital.”

Jeanne Otersen, Director, Health Professionals and Allied Employees:
“Christ Hospital CEO Peter Kelly failed to allow other bids, wasting time and now bringing our hospital to bankruptcy. Christ Hospital focused on pursuing this poorly-developed deal with Prime Healthcare System – demanding fast-track review and secrecy – while other bids might have been better and therefore successful.
“However, Christ Hospital has now declared bankruptcy. Though we would not have chosen this path for the hospital, bankruptcy court can provide protection for our hospital and its services during the next period of time, and also provide the structure and oversight that was clearly missing at the Christ Hospital management offices. Christ Hospital Board members also have an opportunity to get it right this time – to choose a bidder and financing that puts patients and community first.”

Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, Executive Director, NJ Citizen Action:
“There has been an outpouring of support from citizens of Jersey City for Christ Hospital. New Jersey Citizen Action went door to door in this community to ask for support in saving Christ Hospital. The response was stunning; over 5000 people signed petition cards supporting our principals of a open and transparent process with community input for the future of Christ Hospital. The people of Jersey City still need to know that this hospital, its services, and its health care providers will always be here to serve this community.”

Renee Steinhagen, Executive Director, NJ Appleseed Public Interest Law Center:
“A review of documents filed with the State revealed that the Board did not properly vet the record of Prime's operations in California, and did not consider the impact that the sale would have on Hudson County. Had the Prime sale gone through, Hudson County residents would have been faced with yet another hospital that is primarily concerned with maximizing profits. Even in bankruptcy, Christ Hospital's Board should consider whether a sale is in the best interest of Jersey City‟s residents. If the Board fails to do that, it remains the obligation of New Jersey‟s Attorney General and Commissioner of Health to refuse to approve the 'new' sale.”

Joel Torres, Neighborhood resident:
“I was born in Christ Hospital twenty-eight years ago and have lived in Jersey City my whole life. For 140 years, Christ Hospital has opened its doors to help people in need, and has been especially important to under-served populations. We ask the hospital‟s Board to keep the doors open to the community in the reorganization process.”

Paulette Eberle, Vice-President, Next Step:
“It's essential that there is an open and transparent process with continued community input for any possible sale to insure that this hospital remains the integral part of the community that is has always been.”