HOBOKEN — Hoboken University Medical Center CEO Spiros Hatiras today contradicated a report from Gov. Chris Christie’s transition team that claimed the hospital will be closing in few months.
Hatiras made the statement at an emergency press conference today.
The report claimed that $7 million in stabilization funds given to the hospital was a waste of state resources, but Hatiras claimed the transition team based their claim on hearsay, not data.
“We’re baffled,” Hatiras said repeatedly. “We never spoke to the transition team. They never saw any financials. They never saw a business plan.”
Hatiras noted that another hospital that received stabilization funds has filed for bankruptcy. He wondered why that hospital wasn’t named in the report, rather than HUMC.
Hatiras said he is presenting a budget with a $3 million surplus (before depreciation) to the Municipal Hospital Board on Wednesday. In other words, the hospital has some money to spare this year.
He was upset that the state would present such information on its website, but said that he did not think it represents policy that will be carried forward by the Christie administration, rather just a recommendation with and unsubstantiated claim.
Employees are worried, he said, especially after agreeing to salary cuts earlier this month to keep the hospital alive.
Hatiras planned to meet with hospital employees at 3 p.m. to assure them the hospital is not closing.
Some people are speculating that Christie’s team took a swipe at HUMC to score political point because it is the home of outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine.
A member of the transition team told Hatiras confidentially that no data was used in creating the report, rather, the team relied on the expertise of their team. A member of the team also confirmed this to the Reporter today.
Only one member of the transition team is based in Hudson County, according to HUMC Vice President of External Affairs Joan Quigley, who is also an state Assemblywoman. Christopher Rinn, director of emergency medical services at Jersey City Medical Center, served on the team.
But Rinn said he could not comment on the report.
Rinn was quoted in the Reporter last week as part of a dispute between JCMC and HUMC over a claim by Hatiras that JCMC ambulances are diverting some patients past neighboring hospitals, including Hoboken, to JCMC.
David L. Knowlton, president and CEO of New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, who chaired the transition team subcommittee on heath care that produced the report, was also not available for comment Friday.
Quigley said, “It’s like a doctor walking down the street and saying you [pointing], you have three months to live.” — TJC