Article
The situation
Hudson Regional Health told city officials on Feb. 27 that it would close the emergency department at Heights University Hospital, the former Christ Hospital, which has served the Heights neighborhood since 1872. The ER is the hospital’s last operating unit. HRH first planned to suspend services Feb. 28, then agreed to fund about two more weeks, at roughly $1 million, after requests from the city and talks with the state health commissioner.
HRH, which took over the hospital after CarePoint Health’s bankruptcy, says it has invested about $100 million and lost $74 million between November 2024 and December 2025. It projected Heights would lose more than $30 million this year even after downsizing, citing federal Medicaid cuts, lower state charity care funding and more uninsured patients.
The mayor called the closure unacceptable and said an emergency injunction or a license transfer were on the table. The state health department has not approved the closure and says the hospital remains out of compliance with regulatory requirements. The nurses’ union objected to staff being told to call 911 for patients who need admission.
Lessons for leaders facing similar choices
- Notice matters. Short warning to officials and regulators invites intervention and erodes trust. Start conversations with the state, local leaders and EMS months ahead.
- Show the access plan. An ambulance at the door and a mobile unit, which HRH has proposed, will be judged against where patients actually go. Have data on transport times and receiving-hospital capacity.
- Engage receiving hospitals. Nearby EDs will absorb the volume. Agree on transfer protocols and surge plans before the last day.
- Expect regulatory friction. States are watching closures closely as Medicaid changes take hold. Confirm which approvals and notice periods apply.
- Weigh alternatives. Partnerships, conversion to another care model or transfer to a different operator may draw less opposition than a hard closure.
Why it matters beyond New Jersey
Financially weak urban and rural hospitals face the same pressures HRH cites. Boards of struggling facilities should decide early what services they can sustain and plan transitions deliberately, rather than reach the point where an emergency department closes on a few days’ notice.
Archive entry for Mar 9, 2026, added Nov. 11, 2026.