Photo by Jordan Coll / SOC Images.
This article will be updated with more information following the April 15, 2026 public meeting.
The closure of Jersey City’s former Christ Hospital has been put on hold.
On the eve of a scheduled public hearing on the closure of University Heights Hospital, a letter submitted on behalf of Hudson Regional Hospital (HRH) urged the state’s Department of Health to “cease any further review of the application” and to remove the matter entirely from the New Jersey State Health Planning Board’s hearing calendar.
According to the letter obtained by Slice of Culture, “Heights has determined that closure of the Facility is not an option in as much as it would effectively preclude it from fulfilling its charitable purpose and disenfranchise an inordinate number of patients who depend on Heights for their care.”
The removal of the Certificate of Need (CN-3)—a government-mandated permission that gives a green light to expand or relocate, open a new facility and expand services or buy new equipment—came to a shock from members from the community at-large. The letter outlines HRH desire to remove the application all together.
Just weeks earlier, the state’s Department of Health rejected a request by Hudson Regional Hospitals LLC , the hospital’s operator, to delay the April 15 public hearing, according to reporting by Hudson County View.
In a bureaucratic tit-for-tat on the hospital’s standing, the closure of the facility would leave a city of more than 300,000 residents with one less hospital in the community, as previously reported by Slice of Culture. At the current moment, Jersey City Medical Center, operated by RWJ Barnabas Health, is the only remaining hospital in the city and it’s located in Downtown.
“HRH has been encouraged by renewed efforts with its landlord to evaluate the restoration of healthcare services in the region. As a result of these ongoing discussions, HRH has decided to withdraw its Certificate of Need application for closure, with a public hearing no longer taking place on Wednesday evening at Heights University Hospital,” said Vijay Chaudhuri, an HRH spokesperson in an email statement to Slice of Culture.
The Hospital’s Battle
The hospital facility last year claimed they were anticipating losses of over “$60 million per year at Heights University Hospital, without public support, is simply unsustainable to maintain.”
HRH also claimed in the letter that both Heights and Hoboken University Medical Center took on “drastic cuts” under the New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program, receiving “only 50% of the payments the hospitals received,” in the state’s 2024 fiscal budget–leading to the outcome of the hospital’s closure.
The letter adds that HRH says the Department of Health advised it to remove County Option Program payments from its forecasts altogether, which would result in “approximately $40 million net reduction of annual cash inflow from government subsidies moving forward.”
Mismanaged money has been the overbearing reason for the hospital’s downfall. Under the previous healthcare operator CarePoint Health, the facility had accumulated a debt of $300 million, all while the current municipality of Jersey City is currently faced with a deficit of $255 million.
The financial burden in terms of costs for the city translates into medical bills totaling to $52 million in amassed debt from 2024 through 2025, according to the city’s budget report.
“HRH has not engaged the city about relocating Christ Hospital or any other serious alternative proposal for the facility,” said Nathaniel Styer, the Jersey City mayor’s spokesperson in a text message to Slice of Culture.
Additionally, the mayor’s office stated that HRH “refused to make the community space at Christ Hospital available to NJ DOH,” and now will transfer the location to Dickinson High School.
State officials decried previous efforts by HRH to withdraw the Certificate of Need, citing legal requirements for timely public input into the certificate of need process.
Under DOH mandate, a hospital the State Health Planning Board must provide a public hearing within 30 days “after an application is deemed complete by the Commissioner of Health,” which was reportedly not followed through with HRH.
“We remain committed to the community of Jersey City and condemning the illegal actions of HRH,” said Debbie White, the president of Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) who told Slice of Culture.
“Jersey City needs more than one hospital.”
Locals’ Renewed Hope
“This meeting is absolutely happening. The certificate of need process is legally required, the state is running the meeting, and the hospital has no authority to cancel it,” said Assemblywoman Katie Brennan (D-32).
In the latest letter, HRH claims they are actively engaged with the hospital’s landlord and the City of Jersey City in discussions about constructing a new facility on an alternative site.
“HRH has engaged the Facility’s landlord and the City of Jersey regarding construction of a new facility and is in process of seeking financing,” the letter states.
“HRH continues to be the untrustworthy for profit company. They continue to lie to the public and our union members about their needs and reasons to reduce healthcare services here in Hudson County,” said Craig Ford, President of the 1199J national healthcare union that includes hospital employees, some of whom were among the over 1,000 employees who were laid off, in a statement to Slice of Culture.
Rather than face the hearing—at which community residents, healthcare workers, elected officials, and union leaders had been mobilizing to testify—HRH’s legal counsel appears to have pulled the underlying application the day before, raising frustrations within the community.
“The community feels abused by this whole process. HRH operates outside the law, and the government and state legislative leadership isn’t exercising its authority. They are standing on the sidelines wringing their hands. Our community is suffering while HRH plays games with our lives. When will the government take action? How many more lives will be harmed?” said Norrice Raymaker, a longtime resident and community activist in Jersey City.
A public hearing will be held today at Dickinson High School, located at 2 Palisade Avenue at 5 p.m. discussing the hospital’s ongoing timeline. To RSVP, you can scan the QR code here.
