Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misattributed quotes from State Health Planning Board Member Kevin J. Slavin to Michael Kennedy, executive director of the state Department of Health’s Division of Certificate of Need and Licensing.
The State Health Planning Board deferred a highly-anticipated decision on Thursday regarding the relocation of Monmouth Medical Center’s acute care services from Long Branch to a new $800 million general hospital located roughly 5 miles away.
“We are not prepared to take action on this application tonight. Several concerns that the board members (have), I can highlight at a high level,” said Board Member Kevin J. Slavin, former president and CEO at St Joseph’s Healthcare.
“We need more information on disparities for residents of Long Branch and vulnerable population, and additional information on transportation options to ensure that access to vulnerable populations will be secured,” Slavin said. “We’d like to see additional information on staffing as it impacts other providers and an extension of maintenance requirements for the services.”
The board voted to defer and revisit the issue after a long day that started at 10 a.m. Thursday and concluded shortly before 6:30 p.m.
Construction on the new general hospital in Tinton Falls is expected to begin in 2027, with completion expected in 2032. The new site will be operated in conjunction with Monmouth Medical Center, which isn’t closing, according to its owners.
The proposed relocation was first announced in early October by RWJ Barnabas Health, which owns Monmouth Medical Center and 13 other hospitals in the state. It has been the subject of heated debate ever since.
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone emerged as one of the project’s fiercest critics.
“Simply put, RWJ Barnabas’ plan to close the Long Branch hospital puts profits over people. Period. They are abandoning a poorer, more diverse city for a significantly wealthier, less diverse suburb,” Pallone said Thursday.
Hospital officials maintain the new acute care facility is centrally located and better equipped to serve patients.
President and CEO Eric Carney testified at the first Nov. 13 public hearing before the State Health Planning Board that an architectural assessment of the 13-acre Monmouth Medical Center campus revealed serious infrastructure problems.
“The results show that the majority of our buildings at our hospital were deemed undesirable and near end of life for continued hospital operations,” Carney said.
Approximately 300 people attended the public hearing held at the Anne Vogel Family Care and Wellness Center in Eatontown three weeks ago, hoping to weigh in on the proposal. Another 200 people attended remotely, according to a summary prepared by the New Jersey Department of Health.
Of those who spoke in person, 35 expressed support and about 58 expressed opposition. However, the majority of written comments submitted to the state supported the application, with 882 backing the move and 34 opposing it, according to the summary.
The State Health Planning Board heard seven additional hours of testimony on Thursday from people invited to comment either before the board in Trenton at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium or virtually from the Long Branch Senior Center.
Those who spoke against the plan raised concerns about longer travel times, the impact on other hospitals in the region and disruptions in care.
“Monmouth Medical Center is a primary access point for emergency, maternal, pediatric, surgical and behavioral health services in the region. Any consideration of relocation carries significant implications for access to care, emergency preparedness, infrastructure planning and local economic conditions,” said Lisa Wilson, executive director of Coastal Communities Family Success Center, a community-based organization that serves economically challenged individuals and families in Long Branch.
Others claimed the relocation would disproportionately affect minority and low-income families who rely on the hospital for affordable and culturally competent care. Minority groups make up over 46% of Monmouth Medical Center’s patients and approximately 31% of patients are underinsured or uninsured, according to the Certificate of Need application.
“This plan brings our care closer to the majority of patients we already serve,” Carney said Thursday.
Those in support of the move focused on the need for modernization and expansion, arguing the current site can no longer meet the changing needs of the community.
“It’s being built to better serve the nearly 650,000 residents of the county, as well as residents of other Shore communities. And that’s not a facility that can be accommodated in the present location,” said Christian Hartman, senior vice president of the New Jersey Alliance for Action, a nonpartisan, nonprofit association focused on building the state’s economy.
The application was also endorsed by state health department staff, which recommended approving the relocation with some conditions — among them, communicating the move clearly with the community and availability of no-charge transportation from Long Branch to the Vogel Medical Center Campus.
The State Health Planning Board ultimately decided to postpone the vote to allow for more time to address the main concerns raised by community members.
“We are extremely disappointed that the State Health Planning Board decided not to act on the positive recommendation of the New Jersey Department of Health...“ a spokesperson for RWJ Barnabas said in a statement late Friday.
“We will continue to work through this process and address any additional questions the Board may have. We look forward to sharing more about how our vision for transformative health care will bring world-class care closer to home for more patients by delivering the latest advanced technology, treatments, and innovative academic medicine in new, modern health centers of excellence,” the spokesperson said.
Some residents expressed concern about how the relocation may negatively impact people in need of medical care.
“The people of Long Branch are who I’m thinking about and I can’t see how it won’t interfere with their access to care and increase health disparities,” said Dr. Krysta Johns-Keating, a provider who sits on the board.
Former U.S. Sen. George Helmy, who serves as RWJ Barnabas’ executive vice president and chief of external affairs and policy, said he respectfully disagreed with the deferral of the relocation plan.
“We have provided you extensive information on disparities and how we intend to care for those folks,” Helmy said Thursday.
If approved, the new hospital will be located adjacent to the Specialty and Cancer Care Pavilion, which is under construction as part of the expanded Vogel Medical Campus.
It will have an outpatient medical office building, emergency department, surgical and interventional services and diagnostic imaging. The project is expected to cost $858.7 million, according to the Certificate of Need proposal.
What would change if the relocation is approved?
The following services will be relocated to a new seven-story, 252-bed hospital in Tinton Falls:
The Long Branch hospital will lose 151 licensed acute care beds in the process. However, it will continue to provide services to the community. It will also benefit from planned upgrades including the creation of a new psychiatric facility and a new pharmacy.
Obsolete buildings on campus may eventually be removed. However, plans for demolition aren’t expected to get underway until 2035 or later, according to RWJ Barnabas Health.
What would stay the same?
The hospital in Long Branch will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and maintain its current full-service emergency department.
The hospital will also continue to offer inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services, imaging services, outpatient surgery and specialty clinic services and adaptable patient rooms capable of providing intensive care.
A free van service will be available between the new hospital campus and the existing Long Branch site for patients, staff and family members, according to the project plans.
There are no current plans to close or repurpose the hospital site, according to the Certificate of Need application.
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