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.

1. It should be an open, public process, with meaningful community participation in both the reorganization planning and implementation.
2. It should include binding commitments of service and staffing levels, and specific job commitments for current hospital employees.
3. 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)