Press Releases
September 13, 2010
Contact: John Atwood, (202) 482-4085
URBAN NEW JERSEY REGIONS RECEIVE U.S. EDA FUNDING FOR ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) today announced a $240,000 grant to Thomas Edison State College of Trenton, N.J., to develop an urban economic assessment that will identify types of distress within 19 non-contiguous urban areas. The project will establish the basis for a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to address urban distress in the northern and central part of New Jersey.
"This EDA grant will provide a blueprint to guide future economic development initiatives designed to spur business development and job growth in the region," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John R. Fernandez. "The project will be advanced by taking advantage of the vast resources available through Thomas Edison State College."
"The Thomas Edison State College urban economic assessment will provide an assessment of the landscape of economic development for the targeted cities and specifically assess their unique urban needs. The project will help promote growth and sustainability for each of the targeted distressed areas," said Dr. Joseph Youngblood, III, Dean, Thomas Edison State College, School of Public Service.
The work to be conducted will occur in nineteen municipalities within seven counties. The municipalities of Asbury Park, Bayonne, Bloomfield, East Orange, Elizabeth, Hoboken, Irvington, Jersey City, Lakewood, Neptune, New Brunswick, Newark, Orange, Passaic, Paterson, Perth Amboy, Plainfield, Roselle and Woodbridge have experienced an increased level of disinvestment due to sudden and severe job loss experienced during 2009 and 2010.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov):
This year, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) marks 45 years of public service, with a mission of leading the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that partners with distressed communities throughout the United States to foster job creation, collaboration and innovation.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Current crisis highlights longstanding medical needs
The need for better medical care predates Solaris acquiring and moving to close Muhlenberg. Long before hospital closings, there was an acknowledged need for more non-emergency health care. We have to think beyond restoring the status quo and work to meet our needs in the most modern and effective way possible.Muhlenberg can become a viable engine for wellness in Central Jersey, economically sustainable by adapting to current market trends and social issues.
Recent hearings revealed that ambulatory clinics are taking profit-making business away from hospitals. Many hospitals run varied assortments of ambulatory clinics. Muhlenberg could offer a general medicine clinic for extended hours, backed up with specialty clinics, reducing the burden on all area emergency rooms while still providing the continuity of care and preventive medicine necessary to improve health and lower costs.
In addition to the fundamental clinic, patients would be drawn to specialty clinics that would embrace integrative medicine and help patients maintain the diet, exercise and activities that promote health.
Similar to a magnet school, integrative medicine would attract patients and provide better care to a community dealing with many conditions that respond to preventive medicine and lifestyle changes.
Clinics at Robert Wood Johnson already have a long waiting list for appointments. Would the state medical school be willing to help establish similar services at Muhlenberg?
Starting with diabetes, hypertension, obesity and addiction, we could easily expand to under-served specialties, especially multiple sclerosis, HADD and autism. All of these areas are prime candidates for foundation funding and clinical trials using alternative medicine protocols.
A decade ago, I envisioned a health-care prevention and maintenance cooperative that would provide affordable access to supplements, healthy food and a host of popular alternative medicine treatments in return for participation in clinical trials necessary to validate or disprove their effectiveness.
Funding is increasingly available to investigate promising medical protocols, even when no one has the ability to profit through a patient.
Deborah Dowe
DNV.Dowe@Verizon.net
Recent hearings revealed that ambulatory clinics are taking profit-making business away from hospitals. Many hospitals run varied assortments of ambulatory clinics. Muhlenberg could offer a general medicine clinic for extended hours, backed up with specialty clinics, reducing the burden on all area emergency rooms while still providing the continuity of care and preventive medicine necessary to improve health and lower costs.
In addition to the fundamental clinic, patients would be drawn to specialty clinics that would embrace integrative medicine and help patients maintain the diet, exercise and activities that promote health.
Similar to a magnet school, integrative medicine would attract patients and provide better care to a community dealing with many conditions that respond to preventive medicine and lifestyle changes.
Clinics at Robert Wood Johnson already have a long waiting list for appointments. Would the state medical school be willing to help establish similar services at Muhlenberg?
Starting with diabetes, hypertension, obesity and addiction, we could easily expand to under-served specialties, especially multiple sclerosis, HADD and autism. All of these areas are prime candidates for foundation funding and clinical trials using alternative medicine protocols.
A decade ago, I envisioned a health-care prevention and maintenance cooperative that would provide affordable access to supplements, healthy food and a host of popular alternative medicine treatments in return for participation in clinical trials necessary to validate or disprove their effectiveness.
Funding is increasingly available to investigate promising medical protocols, even when no one has the ability to profit through a patient.
Deborah Dowe
DNV.Dowe@Verizon.net
Sunday, June 12, 2011
1999 Hospital Commission Announces Plans
News Release
PO 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 Len Fishman
Commissioner
For Release:
February 11, 1999 For Further Information Contact:
Rita Manno
(609) 984-7160
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals
Trenton -- A new advisory commission will examine the hospital industry, assess the overall financial health of facilities, identify warning signs that might place a facility in jeopardy and recommend options for hospitals looking to merge or convert to other uses, Commissioner Len Fishman announced today.
The new commission -- formed at the direction of Gov. Christie Whitman -- is in response to a request by hospitals to study an industry that has undergone tremendous change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services, certificate of need reform and expanded managed care.
In their February 5 letter, hospital CEOs asked the Governor "to begin an immediate examination of our concerns and to work with us to devise solutions that will preserve our health care safety net, particularly in our urban areas."
The task force will bring together hospitals, employers, consumers, government, unions, doctors, nurses, and others involved in health care.
"Access to quality health care is one of the most important rights consumers have. We need to examine our hospitals in this state and the challenges they face in this very changing market place" the Governor said.
Over the last decade, some hospitals in New Jersey have consolidated, merged, joined systems or closed, the Governor noted. "Everybody including hospitals and government need to be prepared for any future changes," she added.
The advisory commission will also respond to the findings of a report by the state Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, which is analyzing the financial condition of the hospital industry in New Jersey. That report, expected in March, will be looking at capacity, demand, revenues and expenditures in hospitals.
The advisory commission is expected to report to the Commissioner in June.
In addition, a Hospital Assistance Unit will be created within the department to help hospitals and their boards explore options for their future, including restructuring, consolidation of services and changing the type of services offered. Hospitals need viable options to achieve a balance between their revenues and expenditures. The state will consider financial assistance to a hospital in retaining the consultants necessary to evaluate a hospital's current and future strategies.
"In using the new unit within the department, hospitals will be opening themselves up to a process that seriously considers some fundamental changes," said the Commissioner.
"We're saying to hospitals in need of help that they have to be pro-active at an early stage in order to get the best possible outcome."
The administration already has taken many actions to support hospitals, especially urban inner city hospitals that serve a disproportionate numbers of uninsured patients. These include:
Supporting charity care and hospital relief programs that distribute $523 million annually to hospitals caring for disadvantaged populations. The formula used to distribute these funds is effective in that the majority of the funds go to hospitals providing most of the care to the poor and uninsured.
Reforming the certificate of need law to eliminate Certificate of Need requirements for many services and streamline them for others. This makes it easier for hospitals to add or remove services in response to changing market conditions. The Certificate of Need reform commission continues to examine the impact on urban hospitals if further revisions to Certificate of Need requirements are implemented.
Promoting partnerships between urban and suburban hospitals, including the new cardiac services pilot program which will allow a suburban hospital to offer satellite cardiac surgery services in partnership with an urban hospital cardiac program. Revenues from the cardiac program in the suburban hospital must be used to support programs and operations in the urban hospital.
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or closures that require a full Certificate of Need, without compromising the complete review of these transactions.
Responding effectively to assure uninterrupted access to care when services or facilities are closed through such measures as ensuring emergency transport of patients, and transfer of records and extension of admitting privileges to physicians at the receiving hospital
Supporting HCFFA's program for refinancing hospital debt, which has resulted in a record number of refinancings. In 1998, HCFFA issued $1.4 billion in bonds. About $1 billion of these bonds represented refinancings, which resulted in present value savings for New Jersey hospitals of more than $57 million.
Note: Members of the Advisory Commission on Hospitals have served on a prior committee that examined health care issues. Attached is the list of members.
ADVISORY COMMISSION ON HOSPITALS
George Laufenberg
NJ Carpenter's Fund
Sister Jane Frances Brady
CEO
Saint Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center
Hank Meisner
Director, Governmental Affairs
Horizon
Dick Oths
Chairman
New Jersey Hospital Association
The Honorable Michele Guhl
Commissioner
NJ Department of Human Services
Lilton Taliaferro, Jr., Esq.
Jim Leonard
Vice President, Government Relations
NJ State Chamber of Commerce
John Jacobi, Esq.
Seton Hall Law School
Dr. Gregory Sachs
Chairman
Medical Society of New Jersey
Gary Carter
President
New Jersey Hospital Association
Dr. Stuart Cook
President
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ
The Honorable Jaynee LaVecchia
Commissioner
NJ Department of Banking and Insurance
Andrea Aughenbaugh
President
NJ State Nurses Association
Joe Gonzalez
President
NJ Business & Industry Assoc.
Frank Ciesla, Esq.
Jeff Beck
Director, State Government Relations
Aetna/U.S. Health Care
Frank Fumai
President & CEO
Cathedral Health Care System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc
.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best matches for new jersey hospital mergers and acquisitions
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals... Jump to text »
change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services,... Jump to text »
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or... Jump to text »
PO 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 Len Fishman
Commissioner
For Release:
February 11, 1999 For Further Information Contact:
Rita Manno
(609) 984-7160
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals
Trenton -- A new advisory commission will examine the hospital industry, assess the overall financial health of facilities, identify warning signs that might place a facility in jeopardy and recommend options for hospitals looking to merge or convert to other uses, Commissioner Len Fishman announced today.
The new commission -- formed at the direction of Gov. Christie Whitman -- is in response to a request by hospitals to study an industry that has undergone tremendous change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services, certificate of need reform and expanded managed care.
In their February 5 letter, hospital CEOs asked the Governor "to begin an immediate examination of our concerns and to work with us to devise solutions that will preserve our health care safety net, particularly in our urban areas."
The task force will bring together hospitals, employers, consumers, government, unions, doctors, nurses, and others involved in health care.
"Access to quality health care is one of the most important rights consumers have. We need to examine our hospitals in this state and the challenges they face in this very changing market place" the Governor said.
Over the last decade, some hospitals in New Jersey have consolidated, merged, joined systems or closed, the Governor noted. "Everybody including hospitals and government need to be prepared for any future changes," she added.
The advisory commission will also respond to the findings of a report by the state Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, which is analyzing the financial condition of the hospital industry in New Jersey. That report, expected in March, will be looking at capacity, demand, revenues and expenditures in hospitals.
The advisory commission is expected to report to the Commissioner in June.
In addition, a Hospital Assistance Unit will be created within the department to help hospitals and their boards explore options for their future, including restructuring, consolidation of services and changing the type of services offered. Hospitals need viable options to achieve a balance between their revenues and expenditures. The state will consider financial assistance to a hospital in retaining the consultants necessary to evaluate a hospital's current and future strategies.
"In using the new unit within the department, hospitals will be opening themselves up to a process that seriously considers some fundamental changes," said the Commissioner.
"We're saying to hospitals in need of help that they have to be pro-active at an early stage in order to get the best possible outcome."
The administration already has taken many actions to support hospitals, especially urban inner city hospitals that serve a disproportionate numbers of uninsured patients. These include:
Supporting charity care and hospital relief programs that distribute $523 million annually to hospitals caring for disadvantaged populations. The formula used to distribute these funds is effective in that the majority of the funds go to hospitals providing most of the care to the poor and uninsured.
Reforming the certificate of need law to eliminate Certificate of Need requirements for many services and streamline them for others. This makes it easier for hospitals to add or remove services in response to changing market conditions. The Certificate of Need reform commission continues to examine the impact on urban hospitals if further revisions to Certificate of Need requirements are implemented.
Promoting partnerships between urban and suburban hospitals, including the new cardiac services pilot program which will allow a suburban hospital to offer satellite cardiac surgery services in partnership with an urban hospital cardiac program. Revenues from the cardiac program in the suburban hospital must be used to support programs and operations in the urban hospital.
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or closures that require a full Certificate of Need, without compromising the complete review of these transactions.
Responding effectively to assure uninterrupted access to care when services or facilities are closed through such measures as ensuring emergency transport of patients, and transfer of records and extension of admitting privileges to physicians at the receiving hospital
Supporting HCFFA's program for refinancing hospital debt, which has resulted in a record number of refinancings. In 1998, HCFFA issued $1.4 billion in bonds. About $1 billion of these bonds represented refinancings, which resulted in present value savings for New Jersey hospitals of more than $57 million.
Note: Members of the Advisory Commission on Hospitals have served on a prior committee that examined health care issues. Attached is the list of members.
ADVISORY COMMISSION ON HOSPITALS
George Laufenberg
NJ Carpenter's Fund
Sister Jane Frances Brady
CEO
Saint Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center
Hank Meisner
Director, Governmental Affairs
Horizon
Dick Oths
Chairman
New Jersey Hospital Association
The Honorable Michele Guhl
Commissioner
NJ Department of Human Services
Lilton Taliaferro, Jr., Esq.
Jim Leonard
Vice President, Government Relations
NJ State Chamber of Commerce
John Jacobi, Esq.
Seton Hall Law School
Dr. Gregory Sachs
Chairman
Medical Society of New Jersey
Gary Carter
President
New Jersey Hospital Association
Dr. Stuart Cook
President
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ
The Honorable Jaynee LaVecchia
Commissioner
NJ Department of Banking and Insurance
Andrea Aughenbaugh
President
NJ State Nurses Association
Joe Gonzalez
President
NJ Business & Industry Assoc.
Frank Ciesla, Esq.
Jeff Beck
Director, State Government Relations
Aetna/U.S. Health Care
Frank Fumai
President & CEO
Cathedral Health Care System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc
.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best matches for new jersey hospital mergers and acquisitions
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals... Jump to text »
change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services,... Jump to text »
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or... Jump to text »
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
10 Most Endangered Historic Places of 2011
Preservation New Jersey
Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center
Tracy & Swartwout Buildings
Incorporated in 1877, and moved to this 17-acre location at Park Avenue and Randolph Road in 1903, Plainfield’s Muhlenberg Hospital, now known as Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, was one of the oldest hospitals in the state when it was closed in 2008.
The historic 1903 core of the existing hospital complex is one of the earliest known extant complexes of buildings designed by the notable New York architectural firm of Tracy & Swartwout. The partners in the firm, Evarts Tracy and Egerton Swartwout, were both Yale graduates who met while working for architectural masters McKim, Mead & White. In 1900, the two formed their own firm. Evarts Tracy had strong ties to Plainfield, having moved there as a child. He built his own home in Plainfield on Hillside Avenue in 1901, from which he would have been able to watch progress at the Muhlenberg site when he was overseeing the construction of the original Muhlenberg Hospital buildings. While the Muhlenberg Hospital buildings were some of the earliest designs of the young architecture firm, the men went on to design many significant buildings, including the Cathedral of St. John in the Wilderness and the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, in Denver; the Department of Commerce Building and George Washington Memorial Hall in Washington, D.C.; and the Missouri State Capital building in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Despite numerous additions over the years as the hospital grew into Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, the complex’s original Tracy & Swartwout buildings remain largely intact. The Tracy & Swartwout buildings looked like one large structure when originally built, but actually consisted of multiple parts, including a main reception and office building, an eye and ear clinic, a large kitchen, separate wards for men and women, and a stand-alone "Muhlenberg Operating Pavilion." Today, the buildings retain many original features, including inscriptions noting the contributions of various turn-of-the-century Plainfield families to the hospital’s construction. As such, Muhlenberg’s historic buildings tell the story of some of Plainfield’s most significant people and their dedication to improving healthcare in their community as the 20th century dawned. Additionally, this historic complex of hospital buildings illustrates the growth of the medical profession through its separate structures that housed individual medical uses, in comparison to today's mega-structure hospital complexes.
When Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center closed in 2008, it was required by the state to maintain minimal healthcare services, including a Satellite Emergency Department, for a limited time. This use occupies only a small portion of the entire complex, however, and does not include the historic Tracy & Swartwout buildings. While these buildings are visible from the street, public access to these historic buildings is prohibited, so their condition is unknown. The entity that controls the hospital complex, Solaris Health System, confirmed last fall that it had a confidentiality agreement with a potential buyer and developer of the property, but no further information has been released about future development. This large piece of property, 17 acres, is in a prime real estate location, near the Plainfield Country Club, Plainfield's historic districts and close to the South Plainfield and Edison borders. In an improving economy, the possibility of development on the property is likely and the future of the historic Tracy & Swartwout buildings is uncertain.
Preservation New Jersey urges recognition of the significance of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center’s historic buildings to the history of Plainfield and New Jersey. These buildings, designed by noted architects, are one of a dwindling number of extant historic medical complexes, representing the history of the medical field and the evolution of healthcare throughout the 20th century. Muhlenberg’s historic buildings were in use until the facility closed and remain viable, presenting a unique opportunity for future rehabilitation. We encourage the current owners and potential future developers to consider the historic significance of the 1903 Tracy & Swartwout Buildings at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center as future plans for the property are developed.
copyright 2009-2011 Preservation New Jersey
Sponsors: The Muhlenberg Research Group & The Muhlenberg Independents
Saturday, May 14, 2011
SaveMuhlenberg April 7, 2008
April 7, 2008
Attorney General Anne Milgram
New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety
Division of Law
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 106
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0106
Re: Proposed Closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center by Solaris Health
System
Dear General Milgram:
New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center has become aware of the proposed closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center (“Muhlenberg”), a 130-year old nonprofit, acute-care facility. Starting in late February, several newspapers announced the intent of Solaris Health System, the owner of Muhlenberg, to file on March 1, 2008, a Certificate of Need application with the state Department of Health and Senior Services to seek closure of the hospital. E.g., Mariam Jukaku and Angela Stewart, “Flood of red ink spells the end of Muhlenberg Medical Center,” The Star-Ledger, February 2008. Because the CN application has not been deemed complete and is not yet public, we do not know, at this time, whether Solaris intends to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of the hospital in whole or in part or intends to continue to provide non-acute care services at the facility.
Accordingly, we are requesting the Attorney General take all steps necessary to ensure that the value of all endowment funds, restricted funds and foundations associated with Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center (including Muhlenberg Foundation, Inc.) are adequately protected and used for the purposes for which they are irrevocably dedicated.
Sincerely yours,
Renée Steinhagen
Cc: Jay Ganzman, DAG
Bennet Zarofsky, Esq.
Attorney General Anne Milgram
New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety
Division of Law
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
P.O. Box 106
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0106
Re: Proposed Closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center by Solaris Health
System
Dear General Milgram:
New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center has become aware of the proposed closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center (“Muhlenberg”), a 130-year old nonprofit, acute-care facility. Starting in late February, several newspapers announced the intent of Solaris Health System, the owner of Muhlenberg, to file on March 1, 2008, a Certificate of Need application with the state Department of Health and Senior Services to seek closure of the hospital. E.g., Mariam Jukaku and Angela Stewart, “Flood of red ink spells the end of Muhlenberg Medical Center,” The Star-Ledger, February 2008. Because the CN application has not been deemed complete and is not yet public, we do not know, at this time, whether Solaris intends to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of the hospital in whole or in part or intends to continue to provide non-acute care services at the facility.
Accordingly, we are requesting the Attorney General take all steps necessary to ensure that the value of all endowment funds, restricted funds and foundations associated with Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center (including Muhlenberg Foundation, Inc.) are adequately protected and used for the purposes for which they are irrevocably dedicated.
Sincerely yours,
Renée Steinhagen
Cc: Jay Ganzman, DAG
Bennet Zarofsky, Esq.
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