Rutgers Medical School Merger- Debbie’s letter to Gov Murphy

On behalf of the nearly 4,000 public sector members of HPAE Locals 5094 and 5089 employed by Rutgers University and University Hospital, I am writing to inform you of our concerns and opposition to the University’s actions that will result in the merger of the RWJ Medical School located in New Brunswick and the New Jersey Medical School located in Newark into one single Medical School. Despite the significance of this merger there has been minimum transparency and no oversight required of this transaction, leaving the communities served by both Medical Schools without an ability to fully understand how the merger will impact education, training, services and jobs in those communities, nor the ability to provide input whether they support or oppose the proposed merger.

Although Rutgers University is a public institution funded by the State, this pending merger is not governed by any state laws and regulations. The merger of two public Medical Schools should only happen through legislative review and regulatory approval. Historically changes to the medical school structure, function, and location were only accomplished through legislation. However, Rutgers is bypassing the legislative process.  Read more