WMBCTV: Heights University Hospital Pulls Closure Application, Signals Possible Return of Services in Jersey City
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
The future of healthcare access in Jersey City remains uncertain… and in an uproar. Just weeks after closing its doors, the owner of Heights University Hospital now says shutting down may not be the final chapter. Hudson Regional Health, which operates the facility, announced earlier this week that it is withdrawing its application to permanently close the hospital and is now evaluating options to restore services - possibly at a new location. And for many in the community, the sudden shift is adding to months of confusion and frustration.
“There’s been a lot of he said, she said, everybody always wants to complain, what happened?, why don’t we have money?, we could’ve, who did it?, who did it?, what should we do? - the fact of the matter is that’s all under water now and it doesn't matter,” said Anna Outlaw, Emergency Room Nurse, Heights University Hospital at a rally on 10/08/2025. “We are where we are. Hudson Regional System came in to try to help us and it’s just not enough. We need more, they need more. We are something small in a much bigger puzzle.”
That sudden reversal comes after the hospital closed entirely in mid-March after reported losses of more than 30 million dollars. Now the New Jersey Department of Health says the hospital cannot simply change course without going through the legally required approval process - and has accused the operator of violating closure rules in the first place according to reports. That dispute escalated to court proceedings where a judge reportedly issued a restraining order that canceled a public hearing originally scheduled to take place Wednesday. And while the hearing is now off, the concerns that fueled it haven’t gone away. Residents, workers and local leaders have been vocal for months - saying Jersey City, one of the largest cities in the state, cannot afford to lose critical healthcare access.
“We have heart care, imaging, surgery, psychiatry, substance abuse - that’s why we are needed here. We are great, we always have been,” said Anna Outlaw, Emergency Room Nurse, Heights University Hospital at a rally on 10/08/2025. “We need this hospital, we’ve needed it always, we need it now, we’re going to continue to need it,”
Now, with the owner floating the possibility of reopening or relocating services - and the state pushing back - what happens next will likely play out in court and through the state’s hospital approval process. For now, no timeline has been announced for if - or how - healthcare services could return to the Heights.
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