N.J. Dept. of Health approves HRH’s certificate of need for Bayonne Medical Center
Taken from The Hudson County View
By John Heinis
March 27, 2025
“Bayonne Medical Center is a critical asset for the local community and we are beyond gratified that its future is secured,” HRH Chair Yan Moshe said in a statement.
“In anticipation of this decision we have invested millions of dollars to improve the facility and restore services. Bayonne residents can take a deep breath that their hospital has been saved.”
HRH has owned the Bayonne Medical Center property since July 2020 and has taken a variety of actions to become its operator, including most recently being named interim operator of the acute care facility during CarePoint Health’s ongoing bankruptcy.
“I am pleased to see Governor Murphy’s decision to approve the transfer of ownership of the Bayonne Medical Center to Hudson Regional Hospitals,” noted Hudson County Executive Craig Guy.
“I am confident this change in leadership will allow the Bayonne Medical Center to continue providing quality healthcare services to Hudson County residents.”
The certificate of need resolves a long-standing set of issues caused by the owner of the property not being aligned with the operator of the hospital.
“I am very happy that the New Jersey Department of Health has issued a certificate of need to Hudson Regional Hospital for Bayonne Medical Center (BMC),” added Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.
“This is a great development that will enable BMC to serve the community as a full-service hospital. Bayonne needs a fully operational hospital that can serve the healthcare needs of our residents and our neighbors from Hudson County.”
The announcement is not terribly shocking, given that officials recognized HRH as the new BMC operator in November and the New Jersey Department of Health’s State Health Planning Board granted HRH a certificate of need in December.
HRH had been pursuing the BMC in particular since June 2020, but after a long journey that included plenty of expensive litigation and extensive political maneuvering, a deal was reached to form Hudson Health System in October – the second try for such an endeavor.
Shortly thereafter, at the beginning of November, CarePoint filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to help secure $67 million in financing.
“We proved at Hudson Regional that a community hospital can provide world-class
services,” noted HRH President and CEO Dr. Nizar Kifaieh.
“Already we have made huge strides at Bayonne Medical Center, but the most important advancement is that we have gained the trust of the healthcare providers, workers and patients. In coming months we will have a series of announcements related to additional improvements and added programs.”
