Dear Friend:
We were all saddened to hear last week that St. Mary Hospital may close. I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with an update on the status of my efforts to ensure that St. Mary Hospital continues to serve as Hoboken’s premiere healthcare facility for many years to come.
I am working with various parties to see that St. Mary continues to serve as a community hospital providing the excellent services it now offers to our community. I have personally experienced the quality care of physicians, nurses, staff and volunteers during a surgery I had undergone last year. Bravo to all of you!
I am currently working with Congressman Menendez, Governor Codey, Senator Kenny and others, including the City Council, to work out a solution to Bon Secours’ financial issues. I am doing my best, under these dire circumstances, to resolve issues related to St. Mary’s ongoing fiscal problems.
We are also working vigorously with officials from Bon Secours Health System to ensure that St. Mary survives to serve the community. Short of maintaining a community hospital, Hoboken needs a comprehensive emergency care facility to maintain essential services.
In this vein, I have called for an emergency meeting of the City Council this Wednesday at 6 pm to appoint a special counsel to investigate this situation. It is important that the interests of every staff member are protected.
While I would like to see the facility continue to serve as a community acute-based hospital, my administration is attempting to develop a comprehensive plan to provide a continuum of quality comprehensive emergency services through the efforts of other healthcare facilities in the region.
Mayor David Roberts