Legislation Impacts Due Process
News Releases
For Release: Immediate
Contact: Jason Butkowski
(609) 292-5215
VITALE BILL
TO EASE ECONOMIC PRESSURES ON CLOSING HOSPITALS APPROVED
“New Jersey needs to do everything it can to
ensure a healthy hospital
network which meets the health care needs of its residents,” said
Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “However, there are times when demand has dried
up, or costs are too high, and the only sensible solution is to re-focus our
limited State resources elsewhere. When closure is inevitable, the State has a
responsibility to make that process as painless as possible for the care-providers
and the community at large.”
The bill, S-2352, would
clarify provisions under the “New
Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority Law,” which
governs the hospital asset transformation program. Under the bill, hospitals
would be authorized to apply for and receive transitional aid to pay off any
outstanding bonds or existing debt service, regardless of the status of any
third-party appeals into the closure of the hospital. The Department of Health recommended the
change because the appeals process, in regards to hospital closure, can
sometimes take up to two years, exhausting the hospital’s resources to provide
a seamless transition to a more sustainable
community health care model.
“The health of the community
should not be held in limbo while the hospital closure appeals process is going
on,” said Senator Vitale. “People within the community have every right to
appeal the decision to close a local hospital. But out primary focus has to be
on the continuation of health
care services for the community in need.”
Senator Vitale noted that
the appeal over the closure of
However, more than a month
after Muhlenberg closed acute
care services, a third-party group representing the City of
“Regardless of your opinion
on whether or not Muhlenberg should be closed, New Jersey needs to ensure that
the financial insolvency that lead to the hospital’s problems doesn’t spread to
other health care affiliates under Solaris,” said Senator Vitale. “We need to
do what we can to isolate the problem, and ensure that people in the community
served by a closing hospital still have access to quality health care. This bill would act as a
needed shut-off valve to protect the integrity of the rest of the health care system
when a hospital begins the process of closing its doors to the public.”
The bill now heads to the
full Senate for consideration.
|
|
Vitale Bill To Ease Economic
Pressures On Closing Hospitals Receives Final Legislative Approval |
|
|
|
|
|
Vitale Bill To Ease Economic
Pressures On Closing Hospitals Approved |
|
|
|
For Release: Immediate
Contact: Jason Butkowsk
Monday, December 15, 2008i
(609) 292-5215
VITALE
BILL TO EASE ECONOMIC PRESSURES ON CLOSING HOSPITALS APPROVED
“New Jersey needs to do everything it can to ensure a
healthy hospital network which meets the health care needs of its residents,”
said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “However, there are times when demand has
dried up, or costs are too high, and the only sensible solution is to re-focus
our limited State resources elsewhere. When closure is inevitable, the State
has a responsibility to make that process as painless as possible for the care-providers
and the community at large.”
The bill, S-2352, would clarify provisions under the “New
Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority Law,” which governs the
hospital asset transformation program. Under the bill, hospitals would be
authorized to apply for and receive transitional aid to pay off any outstanding
bonds or existing debt service, regardless of the status of any third-party
appeals into the closure of the hospital. The Department of Health recommended
the change because the appeals process, in regards to hospital closure, can
sometimes take up to two years, exhausting the hospital’s resources to provide
a seamless transition to a more sustainable community health care model.
“The health of the community should not be held in limbo
while the hospital closure appeals process is going on,” said Senator Vitale.
“People within the community have every right to appeal the decision to close a
local hospital. But out primary focus has to be on the continuation of health
care services for the community in need.”
Senator Vitale noted that the appeal over the closure of
However, more than a month after Muhlenberg closed acute
care services, a third-party group representing the City of
“Regardless of your opinion on whether or not Muhlenberg
should be closed, New Jersey needs to ensure that the financial insolvency that
lead to the hospital’s problems doesn’t spread to other health care affiliates
under Solaris,” said Senator Vitale. “We need to do what we can to isolate the
problem, and ensure that people in the community served by a closing hospital
still have access to quality health care. This bill would act as a needed
shut-off valve to protect the integrity of the rest of the health care system
when a hospital begins the process of closing its doors to the public.”
The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
Related
News Releases
|
12/15/2008 |
Vitale Bill To Ease Economic
Pressures On Closing Hospitals Receives Final Legislative Approval |
|
|
|
|
12/8/2008 |
Vitale Bill To Ease Economic
Pressures On Closing Hospitals Approved |
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment