Christie backs reopening Pascack Valley Hospital

Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie this afternoon insisted that Pascack Valley Hospital be reopened. "It seems clear to me that from a health and safety perspective, for the people of Pascack Valley, we need to allow them to have access to this type of health care facility," Christie told a crowd gathered at the entrance to the hospital in Westwood.

The nearly 300-bed hospital, which opened a half-century ago, closed two years ago after being forced into bankruptcy. The state Health Planning Board must recommend whether it should remain closed or allow Hackensack University Medical Center to open a 128-bed acute care facility managed and mostly owned by a for-profit partner -- a first for North Jersey.

Residents and officials have fought in favor of reopening Pascack, saying that the health of local citizens is at stake.

But Valley Hospital and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center have vehemently opposed it, saying that area residents aren't hurting. A reopening would clearly siphon away patients from both of those hospitals, threatening their survival. It quite likely would put Englewood Hospital out of business.

Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney and Democratic members of the Freeholder Board are trying to arrange a sitdown of the executives of the three hospitals to try to come up with some kind of agreement.

Residents will get their say at a Sept. 16 meeting at the facility, now known as Hackensack University Medical Center North at Pascack Valley.

Pascack had just significantly expanded when it ran into serious financial trouble.

Days before the hospital closed in November 2007, the certificate of need for the hospital's mobile intensive care unit -- which had provided advanced life support services to 18 towns in the Pascack and Northern Valleys -- was auctioned in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Hackensack University Medical Center was the winning winning bidder at $3.6 million and began providing paramedic services to the area.

After several delays, the hospital building and property were auctioned on February 27, 2008. HUMC and Touro University College of Medicine won with a joint bid of $45 million -- and announced plans to reopen a full-service hospital and a new medical school.

But in September 2008, Touro backed out of the deal, deciding instead to open the medical school in Hasbrouck Heights. HUMC then submitted its revised proposal to the state.

Now, the system of health care in the area hangs in the balance.

Christie, the former U.S. attorney who is challenging Gov. Jon Corzine, was joined today by his running mate, Kim Guadagno, as well as a group of elected officials that included State Sen. Gerald Cardinale, Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, Assemblyman John Rooney, and Washington Township Councilman Bob Schroeder.

Several residents at today's Christie rally held signs and wore buttons that said: "People First: Re-Open Our Hospital."

"I know that many of you, those standing out here and those standing behind me, have been working very hard for a long time to try and make this a reality," Christie told them, "and Kim and I wanted you to know that you have our support, as we add our names and our voices to this cause."