HRH cancels NJDOH’s Heights hospital hearing with last-minute court injunction
Taken from The Hudson County View
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
April 15, 2026
” … We came up here planning on having a State Health Planning Board meeting, a public hearing today, with the assistance of local officials and Jersey City Public Schools. We were able to secure this location,” NJDOH Certificate of Need and Healthcare Facility Licensure Program Executive Director Michael Kennedy said just before 5 p.m.
“Folks went to … great lengths to accommodate us, which we really appreciate. However, just maybe 20 of 5 [4:40 p.m.], we received word that the hospital has received a temporary restraining order, has been entered by Hudson County Superior Court, preventing the State Health Planning Board and the New Jersey Department of Health from holding this hearing tonight.”
The development stunned the dozens of Jersey City residents on hand at 2 Palisade Ave., who booed before Assemblywoman Katie Brennan (D-32) said they would still be heard once NJDOH officials gathered there things and left the premises.
HRH, who closed HUH on March 14th – ironically after a “Hail Mary” court injunction from the city failed, tried to postpone the meeting last week, to no avail as the NJDOH said the meeting had to take place this evening to follow certificate of need guidelines.
Then on Monday, Mandelbaum Barrett PC partner Alexis Goldberger, counsel for HRH in the matter, said they were withdrawing their certificate of need, arguing they were effectively cancelling the hearing, since it’s part of the CN process.
However, the NJDOH, who denied the request, and the city countered by moving the hearing to Dickinson, before a ruling late this afternoon put the kibosh oh the meeting, at least for now.
“Defendants are temporarily enjoined and restrained from further reviewing and advancing the CN application vis-a-vis a public hearing scheduled for April 15, 2026 and it is further ordered that Defendants may move to dissolve or modify temporary restraints herein contained on two (2) days notices to the Plaintiff’s attorney,” Hudson County Superior Court Judge Anthony D’Elia ruled.
The defendants, State of New Jersey, the NJDOH, and Acting Health Commissioner Raynard Washington, must file a written response to the order to show cause by May 14th, which the plaintiff, HUH, can oppose written opposition to by May 19th.
Click here to read about the subsequent Town Hall that Jersey City electeds hosted after NJDOH officials left the building.