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ER at troubled hospital in Jersey City's Heights gets a lifeline, for two weeks
By
Charles Lane
Published Feb 27, 2026
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By
Charles Lane
Published Feb 27, 2026
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The operator of Heights University Hospital in Jersey City said Friday it will keep the hospital's emergency department open for two more weeks after its plan to close the facility this weekend drew sharp criticism from local officials and state regulators.
Hudson Regional Health said the ER at Heights University — previously known as Christ Hospital — will now remain open through March 14, buying time for discussions with state and city officials over its plan for the hospital, which has served Jersey City's Heights neighborhood since 1872.
The two-week extension came after requests from Jersey City elected officials and discussions with state acting Health Commissioner Raynard Washington, the company said. Health system Chairman Yan Moshe agreed to cover the roughly $1 million cost of keeping the emergency department running during that period, the announcement said.
But city and state officials made clear Friday that two weeks more emergency service to Jersey City’s Heights neighborhood is not enough.
"While this is progress, it is still not acceptable for the residents of the Heights," Mayor James Solomon, Councilmember Tom Zuppa and Councilmember Jake Ephros said in a joint statement. "An additional two weeks fails to fulfill that promise."
The officials said they would continue working withNew Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and the state Department of Health to find a long-term solution guaranteeing emergency care in the neighborhood.
Washington, the acting health commissioner, went further, saying the hospital system remains out of compliance with state law. He said HRH shuttered most of the hospital last year without obtaining legally required approval “despite receiving millions in state financial assistance and other supportive interventions” and has yet to complete a pending closure application filed last fall.
"The state will continue to exercise all available options to enforce regulatory authority while safeguarding public resources and trust," Washington said.
Hudson Regional Health has said keeping the hospital open is financially untenable, citing $74 million in losses since taking over the facility in November 2024, federal funding cuts under the Trump administration and state reductions to charity care funding. The emergency department alone is projected to lose $30 million this year, the company said.
The nurses union, Health Professionals & Allied Employees, had urged the state to investigate Hudson Regional Health and called on Gov. Sherrill to intervene.
If the emergency department does close March 14, Hudson Regional Health said it would station an ambulance outside the facility for two weeks and later deploy a mobile health unit. The company also said it would relocate hospital workers to its facilities in Secaucus, Bayonne or Hoboken.
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Health and Science
jersey city
new jersey
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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