Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center Approved To Be Sold

SECAUCUS, NJ — Secaucus' struggling, D-rated hospital, Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center, came one step closer last week to being sold to a new owner. On Nov. 21, in a 5-0 vote, New Jersey's Health Planning Board approved the sale of Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center to a Long Island developer, Yan Moshe, the Jersey Journal newspaper reported.

The multimillionaire developer currently owns two surgery centers — Dynamic Surgery Center in Hackensack and HealthPlus Surgery Center in Saddle Brook — but he has no experience running a hospital. His Hackensack surgery center has been cited several times for failing to meet safety regulations, the Bergen Record reported. According to this Jersey Journal article, Moshe said in his application that he would buy the struggling hospital for $12.2 million.

The current owner of the hospital is MHA LLC, which is a group of private investors that bought the hospital in 2001. The new hospital would operate under the name NJMHMC.

"After carefully reviewing the data, Department staff believes that this transfer of ownership of MHMC to NJMHMC will not result in any negative impact on the community or patients that the hospital has historically served, or on other area hospitals," the state Health Planning Board said in their decision. "This transfer, the only option presented to the department, would be the least disruptive to the area's health care delivery system at this time."

Meadowlands Medical Center is fraught with problems: The hospital is routinely given a "D" grade for patient safety and protocols by nonprofit group Leapfrog. The hospital is currently only operating at about 13 percent capacity, meaning that on any given day only about 26 of its 200 beds are full.

Meadowlands is also currently being fined $21,000 a month by state auditors for failing to submit financial records.

However, some women in Secaucus have reported positive experiences giving birth there.

Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli told the Bergen Record that he wants Meadowlands to remain a hospital. With all the warehouses, the Turnpike and highways nearby, he thinks it's important Secaucus have an ER in town.

"As long as it stays a hospital, and they can do something to upgrade it," the community will be satisfied, Mayor Gonnelli said.

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