Green urges Somerset MC to save Muhlenberg

Will Somerset save Muhlenberg?

With his political fortunes skidding into the ditch, Plainfield Assemblyman Jerry Green is making last-minute moves designed to give the appearance of resisting the closure of Muhlenberg RMC by Solaris Health System.

In a page-one story in today's Courier, Somerset MC CEO Ken Bateman reveals that Green had approached him about partnering with 'an investor organization' to keep Muhlenberg open as an acute-care facility. (See more here.)

Is this a real change of heart on Green's part or just a smokescreen to cover his failure to fight for keeping Muhlenberg open?

Several of the points in the Bateman story seem to indicate that opponents of the closing have scored some points --

1. Number one, just even talking about NOT closing Muhlenberg down -- the topic has been pooh-poohed by Green since his infamous task force announcement.
   
   
2. Keeping Muhlenberg's license active -- this idea comes out of the 'Save Muhlenberg' campaign.
   
   
3. Forcing Solaris to provide the most recent annual financial statement to the city.

This last point is probably a bit of smoke-and-mirrors as it is conditioned on legislation Green proposes to introduce in the Legislature. His batting average with legislative initiatives of this sort is, shall we say, not exactly Major League.

At last Wednesday's meeting with elected officials arranged by Olive Lynch of the 'Buy Muhlenberg' campaign -- to which Assemblyman Green and Mayor Robinson-Briggs were invited, but which they did not attend -- participants learned some of the OTHER REASONS that area hospitals might not be exactly thrilled with Muhlenberg's closure.

The impact the closing of Union Hospital has had on Overlook Hospital in Summit is most illuminating for what lays in store for JFK and Somerset, as well as Overlook, in the light of a Muhlenberg closing.

Overlook, attendees were told, is desperately struggling to cope with the additional demands for regular beds, intensive care and ER beds to accommodate those spilling in from the Union Hospital closing. They are additionally being faced with a deluge of pediatric cases overflowing from Newark. All of this is stressing staff and physical facilities. No one has even measured the negative impact of increased -- and unremitted -- charity care.

And all this is even before the first patient from Muhlenberg shows up.

I am told by people in the know that Solaris is quaking in its boots and hoping against hope that the vast bulk of the Muhlenberg patient load will NOT END UP ON ITS DOORSTEP. Good luck, folks!

In addition, Clem Fiorentino, writing in today's Courier story, outlines services Solaris (JFK) is NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE --

• Cover 600 annual BIRTHS to mostly Neighborhood Health Service Center (PHC) clients;
  
  
• In-patient MENTAL HEALTH services (not a high profit margin here);
  
  
• Sixteen VOLUNTARY BEDS;
  
  
• Intensive PEDIATRIC OUT-PATIENT SERVICES.

Kind of reminds me of the complaints by Muhlenberg supporters that JFK has always been interested mostly in skimming the cream.

Will all this last-minute legerdemain pull the rabbit out of the hat?

Those who think so should go out and rent the movie 'The Illusionist'.

For which the tagline is 'Nothing is what it seems'.

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Courier: "Somerville MC might look at partnership to save Muhlenberg"

-- Dan Damon

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