JERSEY CITY—Heights University Hospital will close its emergency department tonight at 7:30 p.m., when a two-week reprieve secured by Acting Health Commissioner Raynard Washington and Mayor James Solomon ends. The closure cuts emergency care access for Jersey City Heights residents and transfers patients to Palisades Medical Center or Jersey City Medical Center. Over one hundred medical professionals will relocate or face layoffs according to union representatives. 

State Penalties, Financial Losses

Hudson Regional Health acquired the circa-1872 facility through CarePoint Health’s November 2024 bankruptcy proceedings. The hospital accumulated $74 million in operating losses by December 2025. Financial projections indicated a $30 million deficit for calendar year 2026 if emergency operations continued at the 176 Palisade Avenue location. A November 2025 partial closure saw medical surgical and pediatric departments shutter before the emergency room.

HRH Chairman Yan Moshe cited federal Medicaid reductions and state Charity Care funding cuts as primary drivers of financial unsustainability. The company invested over $100 million in capital improvements and operational subsidies between November 2024 and March 2026. Continuing ER operations threatened the financial viability of HRH’s broader network, including facilities in Bayonne, Hoboken and Secaucus. Moshe emphasized that without state approval for full closure, the facility could not access relief funds.

The Department of Health fined HRH $1,000 per day for 128 days, totaling $128,000, for the late 2025 closure. The penalty covered the period from November 14, 2025, through January 16, 2026, when inpatient medical and surgical departments were closed without state authorization. The January 16 penalty notice cited N.J.A.C. 8:43E-3.4(a)12, for failure to implement Certificate of Need conditions that were approved during the HRH acquisition. The fine specifically addressed unauthorized inpatient medical and surgical department closures rather than emergency services.

Community Protest and Political Intervention

An ambulance will station outside the 176 Palisade Avenue facility for two weeks following tonight’s closure. Emergency Medical Services will transport patients to alternative hospitals, including Jersey City Medical Center and Palisades Medical Center. Alliance Community Healthcare will expand primary care services at its 142 Palisade Avenue office to compensate for lost emergency capacity.

The Health Professionals and Allied Employees Union organized a "Stop the Closure" rally outside the hospital's entrance on March 12. Union President Debbie White accused HRH executives of breaking specific promises made during the bankruptcy acquisition process. White stated executives pledged to maintain full hospital operations for the community when purchasing the distressed asset. Heights employees will transfer to HRH’s Bayonne Hoboken or Secaucus facilities.

City Councilman Jake Ephros introduced an emergency resolution demanding immediate state intervention to block the closure. State Senator Angela McKnight, who represents District 31 including Jersey City, joined local officials in requesting continued operation through state financial support. The politicians cited the facility’s critical role serving the Heights neighborhood continuously since 1872.

What's Next?

Governor Mikie Sherrill acknowledged March 12 that the state had previously provided millions in financial assistance to the facility. Specific dollar amounts were not disclosed in public statements by the Governor’s Office or Department of Health. The hospital’s Certificate of Need closure application remains pending with questions unanswered, according to the March 13 DOH statement. The state has not granted final approval for permanent closure, despite allowing tonight’s operational shutdown. The pending application leaves the hospital’s long-term legal status unresolved.

Sources

• NorthJersey.com (March 13, 2026)

• Hudson Regional Health Press Release (March 12, 2026)

• ROI-NJ (March 12, 2026)

• New Jersey Department of Health Notice of Assessment (January 16, 2026)

• New Jersey Department of Health Statement from Acting Commissioner Raynard Washington (February 27, 2026)

• Hoboken Girl (March 13, 2026)

• Jersey City Times (March 11-12, 2026)

• Hudson County View (March 13, 2026)

• NJBallot.com (March 4, 2026)