Heights University Hospital Emergency Department Set to Close as Jersey City Seeks Court Order to Stop Shutdown

Heights University Hospital in Jersey City is preparing to suspend its emergency department services March 14 at 7:30 p.m., as city officials seek an emergency court order to block the closure.

Hudson Regional Health, which took over the CarePoint Health system after its November 2024 bankruptcy, said financial losses at the Jersey City facility forced the decision. In a statement, the health system said the hospital recorded losses exceeding $74 million last year, with more than $30 million projected this year.

“With the State of New Jersey and the City of Jersey City stating yesterday they are not willing to provide funding or other measures to support HRH in operating the facility, HRH has been left with no alternative but to suspend operations and continue the Certificate of Need for closure,” the organization said.

Jersey City officials filed an emergency injunction in New Jersey Superior Court in Hudson County seeking to prevent the shutdown. Mayor James Solomon said the hospital operator failed to follow required procedures under state law.

“HRH’s abrupt closure of Christ Hospital contradicts not only their own promises to the Heights community, but also their legal obligations under State law,” Solomon said. “Their failure isn’t one of financial poverty, but intentional, strategic harm that threatens the lives of Jersey City Heights residents.”

Solomon said the city is asking the court to issue an order requiring the hospital to remain open until it complies with statutory and regulatory requirements for closing a facility.

Local leaders also raised concerns about the impact on nearby hospitals. Hoboken Mayor Emily B. Jabbour said the closure could increase pressure on other emergency departments, including Hoboken University Medical Center.

“Families in Hudson County rely on fast, dependable emergency care and the shutdown of Heights University Hospital puts that access at risk,” Jabbour said. “Closing this emergency department will likely lead to longer travel and wait times, and even greater pressure on doctors, nurses, and EMTs who are already stretched thin.”

Hudson Regional Health said some healthcare services will remain available in the Heights through partnerships and medical offices. Alliance Community Healthcare plans to expand primary and preventive care services at the Heights Medical Office Building on Palisade Avenue, and the health system said an ambulance will be stationed outside the emergency department for two weeks after services are suspended to transport patients to other facilities.

City officials and healthcare workers have also called for state intervention to review the closure and assess community healthcare needs before any shutdown proceeds.