Newark Hospital No Longer Plans To Outsource Pediatrics: Reports

NEWARK, NJ — Administrators at New Jersey’s largest public medical center, University Hospital, have put the brakes on a plan to transfer inpatient pediatric services across the city to the privately owned Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, reports say.

Amid a wave of public opposition, University Hospital in Newark has withdrawn an application to the Department of Health to reduce its pediatric services by more than 80 percent, Politico reported. Under administrators’ plan, pediatricians would have continued to provide outpatient and preventative treatment at University Hospital, but children needing longer-term care would have been transferred three miles south to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, which is part of RWJBarnabas Health.

University Hospital now has plans to “keep the unit operating at its current level,” a spokesperson told NJ.com. Administrators previously said that the intensive care unit for pediatrics was often closed and only three to four children required inpatient services a day.

The decision comes on the heels of protest from local community groups, labor leaders and staff members, who have been rallying against the hospital’s plans for weeks.

• See related article: Newark Nurses Worry About Future Of Hospital's Pediatric Unit

Earlier this month, the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) union helped to spearhead a town hall meeting at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Newark to discuss their concerns about the outsourcing plan.

“Under no circumstances can we allow our only public hospital to eliminate such vital services for so many of our children in an area this size,” said longtime community activist Lawrence Hamm.

Spokespeople at the NJ Department of Health previously confirmed that University Hospital submitted a request for an Expedited Review Certificate of Need (ERCN) to close its pediatric ICU.

Some nurses at the hospital had been given layoff notices, which were put on hold pending the Department of Health's decision, the HPAE reported.

A University Hospital spokesperson told Patch earlier this month that although administrators may be considering changes at the unit, the medical center is definitely not "closing it."

He provided the following statement about the situation:

"University Hospital is focused on what is in the best interest of all our patients and the broader community we serve. To be clear, our pediatric program is a vital University Hospital service and we are not closing it – we are matching the level of service to the number of pediatric patients we treat on a daily basis. Our goal with this decision is to ensure that the Newark community maintains access to the highest quality of care, and medical staff and services for their children. What will not change is our commitment and responsibility to provide emergency and trauma services as well as outpatient care to children."

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Photo: City of Newark Press Office, Flickr (Community activists and labor leaders hold a town hall about University Hospital on July 11, 2018)