| 04/30/2008 - Hospital Closing Gets a Better Ending |
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For Immediate Release HOSPITAL CLOSING GETS A BETTER ENDING Newark Councilman Anibal Ramos, Jr. and the Steering Committee Announce that Services Will Stay at Columbus Hospital Campus Newark, NJ – April 30, 2008 – North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos, Jr. today announced the agreement he and other members of a steering committee reached with Catholic Health East, the new owners of Columbus Hospital. “As a steering committee, we worked hard to assess the possible repercussions on North Ward residents as a result of Columbus Hospital closing. We sat through many meetings and did a great deal of work to make today’s announcement possible,” said Councilman Ramos at today’s press conference held at First Avenue Elementary School in Newark. “I especially want to thank the director of Child and Family Well-Being Maria Vizcarrondo and her staff for their guidance. I also thank Assemblyman Ralph Caputo and Senator Teresa Ruiz for joining me on our pop-in hospital visits in March. After visiting the emergency rooms at Clara Maass and University Hospital, we realized that the neighboring hospitals could not adequately provide some very necessary services to North Ward residents.” Among the highest on the list of services Ramos and the steering committee determined needed to remain in the North Ward are emergency room and ambulatory services, as well as prenatal and pediatric-care services. At today’s announcement, Ramos said he is pleased that Catholic Health East took heed to the committee’s recommendations. “I’m very excited about the possibilities. Just when we thought Columbus had closed its doors forever, an opportunity has come along that may give us a chance to not only maintain services there, but to enhance them,” says Ramos. Alongside representatives from Catholic Health East, Ramos announced that the hospital location at North 13th Street will continue to operate a fully-staffed, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week satellite emergency department. The facility will now be known as the Columbus Campus of Saint Michael’s Medical Center. Catholic Health East has also committed to continue other clinic services at the Columbus Campus following the cessation of acute-care at this facility on or about June 1, 2008. In addition, Catholic Health East is pursuing the development of an ambulatory surgery center. “When financial circumstances led Cathedral Healthcare System to seek state approval for the cessation of acute care at its two community hospitals, it became clear that prompt action was needed to preserve essential health services in the East and North wards,” said Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, referring to the earlier closing of Saint James Hospital. “I’m optimistic that continued collaboration among the city, the city’s legislative delegation, and Catholic Health East will help ensure that Newark residents continue to have access to top-quality care.” “The satellite emergency department at the Columbus Campus will offer a full complement of diagnostic services and an effective link to Saint Michael’s Medical Center for patient transfers as needed,” said Judith Persichilli, executive vice president, Northeast Division, Catholic Health East. “A variety of continuing clinic services, combined with significant facility, infrastructure, and technology investments in Saint Michael’s, will help us safeguard the future of Catholic health care here in Newark. We are enormously grateful to Councilman Ramos, Mayor Booker, and our other colleagues on the North Ward Subcommittee for their guidance and support throughout this process.” Caputo and Ramos said at today’s announcement that the steering committee plans to hold Catholic Health East accountable for ensuring that these services remain at the Columbus campus even if the facility changes ownership. Hospital officials announced in January that Saint James on Jefferson Street and Columbus Hospital on North 13th Street would be shut down and their services consolidated within St. Michael’s Medical Center. The three hospitals were previously owned by Cathedral Healthcare System. Services to Remain at the Columbus Campus of Saint Michael’s Medical Center
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