\u201cWe are not prepared to take action on this application tonight. Several concerns that the board members (have), I can highlight at a high level,\u201d said Board Member Kevin J. Slavin, former president and CEO at St Joseph\u2019s Healthcare.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d Slavin said. \u201cWe\u2019d like to see additional information on staffing as it impacts other providers and an extension of maintenance requirements for the services.\u201d <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t closing, according to its owners. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone<\/a> emerged as one of the project\u2019s fiercest critics. <\/p>\n \u201cSimply put, RWJ Barnabas\u2019 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,\u201d Pallone said Thursday. <\/p>\n Hospital officials maintain the new acute care facility is centrally located and better equipped to serve patients. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n \u201cThe results show that the majority of our buildings at our hospital were deemed undesirable and near end of life for continued hospital operations,\u201d Carney said. <\/p>\n 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<\/a> prepared by the New Jersey Department of Health. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n Those who spoke against the plan raised concerns about longer travel times, the impact on other hospitals in the region and disruptions in care.<\/p>\n \u201cMonmouth 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,\u201d 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. <\/p>\n 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\u2019s patients and approximately 31% of patients are underinsured or uninsured, according to the Certificate of Need application. <\/p>\n \u201cThis plan brings our care closer to the majority of patients we already serve,\u201d Carney said Thursday.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n![\"RWJBarnabas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PQWNA5Q6YBBFVGEKYUH7SPHZEI.jpg\")
Many of Monmouth Medical Center’s acute care services will be relocated to a new facility. This rendering shows the Vogel Medical Campus Acute Care Hospital and Specialty and Cancer Care Center as viewed from Corregidor Road.RWJBarnabas<\/p>\n