HPAE local 5004 Merger News, April 13, 2022

Hackensack Meridian, Englewood cancel plan to merge

The Record, April 11, 2022

As reported by Lindy Washburn, Healthcare Reporter for the Record – It’s over. Hackensack Meridian Health and Englewood Health have officially dropped their plans for a merger, in a move that could have reverberations across the U.S. health care system. The two potential partners notified the Federal Trade Commission that they had jointly abandoned proposed acquisition of Englewood.

Warren Geller is quoted in the article that …”his organization would focus on its long-range strategic plan, which emphasizes the expansion of outpatient care. The hospital enjoys broad support from the community and has had a surplus from operations for the last several years.”

How does this decision impact HPAE Local 5004? Will Englewood Health pursue other opportunities for collaboration and partnerships? It is a possibility, and we will keep monitoring the situation.

It means there will be no harmonization of benefits and working conditions under the Hackensack Meridian umbrella. Benefits and working conditions which are less than what we have negotiated at Englewood Health.

It also means that Englewood Health will continue to need to address the nurse staffing crisis and all the implications of that crisis. There will also be outside pressures to retain and recruit nurses and that is why we need to reopen the contract because we are not competitive at this time. We will also face the expansion of local hospitals – Valley and Holy Name Hospital – and that will also have consequences for Englewood Health. Especially if we don’t start to address our nursing crisis at Englewood.

Alice Barden
President, HPAE Local 5004