Hudson Regional Health withdrew its Certificate of Need application to close Heights University Hospital in Jersey City on April 14, 2026, one day before a state-scheduled public hearing. The New Jersey Department of Health moved the hearing to Dickinson High School at 2 Palisade Ave., where it proceeded from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 15.
- HRH withdrew its Certificate of Need application on April 14, 2026, citing renewed discussions with landlord Avery Eisenreich about potentially relocating the hospital. Financing for a new facility is being sought, and HRH is in dialogue with the City of Jersey City.
- HRH cited charity care payments cut from $8 million to approximately $4 million, an $8.1 million County Option Program shortfall, and a $10 million disbursement canceled in October 2025 due to a federal government shutdown as the causes of financial deterioration.
- The NJDOH relocated and proceeded with the public hearing. Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, HPAE President Debbie White, and the office of Mayor James Solomon all disputed HRH’s claim that the withdrawal canceled it.
The Withdrawal Letter
On April 14, Alexis Goldberger, a partner at Mandelbaum Barrett PC, submitted a formal letter to the NJDOH Certificate of Need and Healthcare Facility Licensure Program Executive Director Michael Kennedy on behalf of HRH. Copies went to NJDOH Commissioner Raynard Washington, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, Mayor James Solomon, Council President Denise Ridley, and other officials.
Goldberger cited N.J.A.C. 8:33-4.8 and requested withdrawal of the CN-3 application, which the Department had deemed complete on March 20, 2026, asking the state to cease further review and remove the matter from the New Jersey State Health Planning Board’s hearing calendar.
The letter stated that closure was no longer an option, arguing it would preclude the hospital from fulfilling its charitable purpose and cut off care for patients who depend on Heights. HRH said it is actively evaluating options, including potentially relocating the facility to an alternative site, consistent with the hospital’s Certificate of Need and charitable purpose.
Goldberger disclosed that HRH is in dialogue with both the City of Jersey City and property owner Avery Eisenreich, founder of Alaris Health, about constructing a new facility, and that financing is already being pursued. HRH had previously attempted to postpone the public hearing; the NJDOH declined, citing Certificate of Need regulatory requirements.
HRH’s Public Statement
HRH spokesman Vijay Chaudhuri said the company had been encouraged by renewed discussions with its landlord and had decided to withdraw the closure application as a result.
“HRH has always intended to provide critical healthcare access in a manner that is financially sustainable in the Heights and is encouraged by renewed efforts with its landlord to evaluate the restoration of healthcare services in the region,” he said.
He added that HRH leadership would continue engaging with elected officials on the most appropriate way to provide healthcare to the Heights community. When asked directly whether the facility might reopen as a hospital, Chaudhuri said HRH continues to evaluate all options to provide care in Jersey City.
Background: How the Hospital Reached This Point
Hudson Regional Health was formed in May 2025 after CarePoint Health exited bankruptcy. Through that proceeding, HRH acquired Heights University Hospital, historically known as Christ Hospital, a 154-year-old institution at 176 Palisade Ave. in Jersey City, along with Hoboken University Medical Center.
The hospital sits atop the Palisades cliffs with views of Hoboken and the Manhattan skyline. HudPost, which has covered the story since October 2025, reported that HRH first threatened demolition of the property for luxury residential development at that time.
In late October 2025, HRH introduced a stabilization plan that phased out nonessential services and shifted certain staff to other locations. By November 2025, HRH had closed most hospital departments, citing $104 million in losses since acquiring the facility, leaving only the emergency department operational.
In January 2026, the Jersey City Times reported that the state had fined HRH for closing departments without following proper procedure, a matter Jersey City officials flagged on a city government page titled “Rush to Close Christ Hospital.”
On March 14, 2026, HRH closed the emergency department, completing the full shutdown. An emergency injunction sought by Jersey City was unsuccessful, and total 2025 losses were reported at more than $74 million.
Councilman Jake Ephros, who represents Jersey City Heights, said the closure left a real void for families in the Heights who had depended on the hospital, and city officials stated the emergency room at Jersey City Medical Center had become overburdened as a result.
The Financial Picture HRH Presented
In the withdrawal letter, HRH described two “material adverse changes” it said occurred after acquiring the hospitals from CarePoint that devastated top-line revenues.
The first was a reduction in charity care payments under the New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program in the 2025 state budget: both Heights University Hospital and Hoboken University Medical Center received approximately $4 million, down from $8 million in 2024. The second involved the County Option Hospital Fee Pilot Program.
For the fourth quarter of the prior year, the hospitals expected $9.3 million but received $2.2 million, of which $1 million went directly to Hudson County to satisfy pre-bankruptcy arrears in fee assessments, leaving a net shortfall of $8.1 million.
In October 2025, an expected $10 million County Option disbursement was canceled after a federal government shutdown occurred one week before the funds were set to be sent.
The Hearing Moves Forward
The NJDOH relocated the public hearing to Dickinson High School at 2 Palisade Ave., listed formally as the “Public Hearing Notice for the Certificate of Need Application from Hudson Hospital OPCO, LLC. for the closure of Heights University Hospital,” scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 15.
Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, a Democrat representing the 32nd district, said, “This meeting is absolutely happening. The certificate of need process is legally required, the state is running the meeting, and the hospital has no authority to cancel it. HRH can’t keep acting like the rules don’t apply to them.”
Debbie White, president of Health Professionals and Allied Employees, the union representing Heights University Hospital workers, said HPAE remains committed to fighting for the citizens of Jersey City and condemning what she called the illegal actions of HRH regarding Christ Hospital.
“The purpose of the New Jersey Department of Health hearing is for the public to have their say,” White said. “We think with all that HRH has taken away from the community, they deserve to have their voices heard.”
The North NJ Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America had also been organizing residents, elected officials, and community leaders to attend and testify. A spokesperson for Mayor Solomon stated that HRH had not engaged the city about relocating Christ Hospital or presented any other serious alternative proposal, and that Solomon would be testifying at the hearing about the need for high-quality, reliable healthcare facilities in the Heights run by partners who see residents as patients, not profits.
The Eminent Domain Question
After the March 14 closure, the Jersey City Council passed resolutions to explore seizing the hospital land through eminent domain. That process is complicated by Eisenreich’s role as both the current property owner and the landlord HRH, says it is in active discussions with about constructing a new facility. The NJDOH did not respond to requests for comment.
