Layoffs prompt CarePoint's unionized health care workers' call for oversight.

Byline: Anthony Vecchione

Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) elected leaders were notified on July 1 by the administration of CarePoint Health that layoff notices would be sent to employees.

HPAE, the largest union of nurses and health professionals in New Jersey, represents nurses at Christ Hospital in Jersey City and the nurses, health professionals, technical, service, business and clerical staff at Bayonne Medical Center in Bayonne.

"While layoffs are a common course of action for CarePoint, this does raise eyebrows in light of the scathing report released just a few months ago which highlighted questionable business practices and financial transactions made by the company," said Debbie White, HPAE president, in a statement.

The recommendations of the state investigators must be reviewed and the state must intervene to monitor how the owners will take steps to protect the financial stability of CarePoint hospitals," said White.

CarePoint Health, a for-profit company, operates Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital in Jersey City, and Hoboken University Medical Center.

Jennifer Morrill a spokesperson for CarePoint Health said: "Hospitals across the country and certainly in New Jersey are seeing decreased patient volumes as more options for care emerge, such as urgent care centers, imaging centers, ambulatory surgery sites, etc. Hospitals have the financial responsibility to staff the patient volume they serve and to adapt staffing to meet the patients where they are in the hospital or in outpatient and ambulatory settings."

Morrill said that earlier this year CarePoint initiated a rigorous and thoughtful process to review its hospitals for workforce efficiencies and care management.

"While we have identified a number of efficiencies, it is important to note a majority will be achieved through a reduction in agency usage, a reduction in overtime and closing select open positions as well as a modest rightsizing," Morrill said.

"While never an easy endeavor, we have utilized the most extreme caution and care to develop a plan that preserves our mission of providing the highest quality health care for the Hudson County community and maintains operational efficiency."

HPAE said that according to a report released in March by the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigations (SCI), CarePoint hospitals paid tens of millions of dollars in questionable management fees and allocations to private entities known as "related...