The start of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “ObamaCare” early in 2014 changed the medical landscape throughout the nation. But in Hudson County, where for-profit hospitals compete directly with more traditional non-profit hospitals, 2014 going into 2015 has been a boon for residents in need of medical services.
The three main medical care providers – CarePoint Health, Jersey City Medical Center, and Palisades Medical Center – brought in new programs, upgraded facilities, and partnered with out-of-county medical providers to attract patients.
Hospitals have been forced to change the way they do business to survive in an environment of increased competition and reduced reimbursement rates from insurance companies and providers. This has also initiated a debate over whether the traditional non-profit or the newer for-profit hospitals will provide the best service for the local community.
The competition among for-profit and non-profit medical providers could benefit Hudson County residents as the two sides upgrade and expand services. Some providers have opened stand-alone clinics to meet urgent care needs.
Further competition to traditional hospitals comes from smaller one-stop health centers such as Astra – which has facilities in Hoboken, Bayonne, and outside Hudson County. These provide services on walk-in basis but without appointment.
Modeled after similar networks already established in places like California, the local for-profit network called CarePoint Health has brought a new healthcare approach to Hudson County.
CarePoint runs three hospitals: Bayonne Medical Center, Hoboken Medical Center, and Christ Hospital in Jersey City.
On the non-profit side are Jersey City Medical Center (part of the Liberty Healthcare system) and Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen.
Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus is also privately owned and for profit.
Here is a rundown of what local hospitals are doing.
CarePoint Health
CarePoint Health has appointed Dennis Kelly as chief executive officer, overseeing Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital, Hoboken University Medical Center, CarePoint Health Medical Group, CarePoint Health Research Institute and its affiliated subsidiaries. The scope of Kelly’s responsibilities was an indication of how quickly CarePoint has grown and of some of its innovative ideas in health care.
Early in 2015, CarePoint debuted one of the first veterans’ initiatives in the nation. Now Hudson County veterans, instead of traveling to the Lyons VA Hospital in East Orange, can go to any of CarePoint’s three Hudson County facilities for treatment. CarePoint Health became Hudson County’s first authorized healthcare system for Patient-Centered Community Care (PCCC), a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program that provides eligible veterans and TRICARE beneficiaries (retired and active duty service members and their families) access to specialty care through a comprehensive network of community-based, non-VA medical professionals when the VA cannot provide adequate care and must supplement care outside of its own facilities.
The first-ever economic impact study commissioned and released by CarePoint Health, conducted by the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, projected that CarePoint will contribute $750 million a year to the New Jersey economy between 2014 and 2017.
Kelly said the study provides a measure of CarePoint’s success in delivering essential medical services to Hudson County and northern New Jersey while turning around the financial performance of its three hospitals.
CarePoint also took the lead in preparing a local response to the ebola outbreak in West Africa and individual cases in other parts of the world. Their system of measures involved early detection and accurate diagnosis.
Among its three major facilities, Bayonne Medical Center (BMC) over the last year was placed in the top 10 percent in the nation for general surgery for the third consecutive year. A HealthGrades report found that patients treated at five-star rated hospitals like BMC experienced a 73 percent lower risk of mortality and a 63 percent lower risk of complications compared to one-star rated hospitals. BMC was also ranked among the top five hospitals in New Jersey for general surgery.
BMC renovated its Emergency Department over the last year, investing nearly $1million to upgrade equipment and reduce waiting times.
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons granted Three-Year Accreditation to the cancer program at BMC. To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 CoC quality care standards.
In Jersey City, Christ Hospital received the Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award, recognizing superior outcomes in surgeries that treat diseases and conditions of the female reproductive system and correct certain conditions of the urinary tract. The hospital also received a five-star rating in clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades. The Maternity Care Excellence Award recognizes hospitals that provide consistent high-quality care for women during pregnancy and childbirth and their newborn babies.
Christ Hospital also established a Detox Center and a program to help develop skills that will help patients function without substances in their home and community.
Hoboken University Medical Center was recognized with a five-star rating for clinical excellence in gynecologic surgery from HealthGrades, and ranks among the top five percent of hospital in the nation for gynecologic surgery.
Jersey City Medical Center/ Barnabas Health
This was a remarkable year at Jersey City Medical Center in many ways. In June, JCMC officially became part of the Barnabas Health system, the largest not-for-profit integrated healthcare delivery system in New Jersey and one of the largest in the country.
The story most in the news concerned the hospital’s Emergency Medical Services Unit. They successfully competed with another provider for a contract to handle the city of Jersey City’s emergency services, a contract the hospital had held for over 100 years.
But even more important to many people in Hudson County, JCMC remained in-network with a majority of the insurance companies serving the area and had a balanced budget for the year. As a not-for-profit organization, any surplus will be invested back into the facility, equipment, programs, and services.
Behind the scenes, the hospital has quietly continued to garner awards and recognition and to implement new services. Over the last year, JCMC was re-certified as a Magnet Award hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Organization, one of only 401 hospitals nationwide recognized for this award for excellence in nursing and the first hospital to ever earn this honor in Hudson, Union, or Essex counties.
JCMC is the only hospital in the county to receive an “A” rating for safety and quality six consecutive times from The Leapfrog Group.
The hospital was recognized as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization. JCMC was the only hospital in Hudson County to earn this distinction by meeting non-discrimination and training criteria and demonstrating its commitment to equitable, inclusive care for LGBT patients and their families.
JCMC was also named one of two hospitals in the state of New Jersey and one of seven in the U.S. as a National Best in Class Hospital for Diversity in Leadership and Governance by the American Hospital Association. The criteria included overall diversity in hospital leadership, addressing healthcare disparities, and cultural content.
The hospital was featured on the “Dr. Oz” television show nationally and several times on television stations and printed media about its innovative methods of ambulance safety and deployment, appointment scheduling and trauma prevention.
As part of Barnabas Health, JCMC was named to NJBIZ’s “2015 Best Places to Work in New Jersey” list.
In order to provide residents with joint replacement services, JCMC opened an Orthopedic Institute over the last year. JCMC also plans to reopen a newly refurbished building in Greenville (site of the former Greenville Hospital) and will move several services to the new location in early April.
To compete with smaller health centers, JCMC opened a newly-expanded Barnabas Health At Hoboken, a multi-specialty practice and after hours urgent care center, on Washington Street.
Palisades Medical Center
Palisades Medical Center (PMC) is in the midst of dynamic change that its officials say will define its healthcare delivery model in the future.
In September 2014, PMC became a full member of the Hackensack University Health Network, marked by a formal Letter of Intent signing ceremony. The signing was the culmination of years of collaboration between the two networks. Since joining efforts in June 2012, both systems have seen significant benefits in the working relationship that has developed between their medical staff and physicians.
“For more than three decades, Palisades has committed itself to providing exceptional care for our patients,” said Bruce J. Markowitz, president and CEO of Palisades Health System. “Joining HackensackUHN, the premier healthcare system in New Jersey, is just one more step toward strengthening that mission.
The signing ceremony symbolized a commitment to build upon that existing relationship, which will likely expand into other departments like neurology, oncology, and orthopedic surgery.
On March 11, 2015, a special ribbon cutting ceremony marked the opening of the John Theurer Cancer Center, a new 9,600-square-foot outpatient facility. The new center, featuring consultation with disease-specific cancer specialists, access to top diagnostic and treatment technologies, and the opportunity to enroll in over 200 clinical trials, is located in the Palisades Medical Center’s new outpatient pavilion in North Bergen.
In March 2014, Inside Jersey magazine and Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. released their annual survey of top hospitals in the state of New Jersey, ranking PMC as No. 4 hospital in the state among hospitals with 350 beds or fewer.
PMC’s new medical office building is a 57,000-square-foot facility that will provide state-of-the-art ambulatory and specialty care services. Services that will be featured in the new building include a dialysis center, Hackensack University Medical Center’s John Theurer Cancer Center, Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Orthopedics and multi-specialty physician practices from Hackensack University Medical Center.
PMC has also been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the “Best Places To Work In Healthcare.” Each year, Modern Healthcare selects 100 companies and organizations that have been named to its “Best Places to Work.”
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recognized PMC with their Get With The Guidelines Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Awards for the Medical Center’s treatment of heart failure and stroke patients.
Last July, PMC presented diplomas to its first graduating class of 21 medical residents who have completed their training.
In addition, PMC has an ongoing program to restore patient rooms as well the construction of a new Ambulatory Care Center scheduled to open in December.
PMC has also expanded its already-extensive outreach programs designed to improve the health and access to care for everyone in our community. Throughout the year, Palisades Medical Center’s staff and volunteers take an active role in our local communities by partnering with other organizations to provide free health screenings and education programs.
Astra Health Center
With the opening of two centers in Hudson County, one at 93-95 Hudson Street in Hoboken, the other at 564 Broadway in Bayonne, Astra Health Centers offers walk-in medical services that include lab work and x-rays.
These centers hope to attract people who want same-day services without appointments. Ashok Tulysan, who runs these centers, said all major insurance is taken, and there is no need for an appointment. The centers provide medical care for conditions that are not critical.
The Hoboken Center started last March, and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, and and also has late hours Saturday and Sunday. The Bayonne site’s hours are 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
“We can take care of anything unless it is critical or a person needs to be hospitalized,” he said.