Solaris Health System surrendered the license for Plainfield's Muhlenberg hospital Friday afternoon, ending the 131-year history of service to Plainfield and the surrounding communities (see the Courier story here).
There has been no word from Assemblyman Jerry Green or Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs since a meeting with Commissioner Heather Howard at City Hall last week, the subject of which was keeping the license active even though the hospital would be closed.
Word in the street is that the potential buyer, Dr. Reddy Dandolu, a cardiac surgeon from Philadelphia, wanted to turn the hospital into a center for cardiac surgery. I am puzzled by this as cardiac surgery has lost its luster as a profit center for hospitals, being replaced largely by angioplasties.
Ironically, Muhlenberg was a top-ranked participant in a national study of stand-alone angioplasty centers (without backup cardiac surgery on site), a designation which Solaris quickly grubbed for JFK once the plan to close Muhlenberg had snapped into place.
Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that patients are facing long waits for rooms at JFK, with some being bedded in hallways.
Solaris' plans for public bonding of its proposed expansion of JFK, needed with Muhlenberg's closure, do not appear on the agenda for the ** August 28 ** (corrected -- Dan) NJ Health Care Facilities Finance Authority, despite previous reports in the press that it would be.
My strong suspicion is that potential buyers for the hospital AS A HOSPITAL will now recede as the obstacles placed in their way by Solaris and the Commissioner prove to be insurmountable.
Next up: Disposition of the unused properties, for which Solaris denies there are any plans.
If you believe that, I have a bridge I would like to sell you.
Rumors persist that if -- or rather when -- Solaris begins to peddle off pieces of the Muhlenberg campus, a well-known local personality stands to get a piece of the action by way of the old 'finder's fee' gambit.
Please say it ain't so, Joe.
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1 comments:
Sad to see the birthplace of so many prominent people (not meaning myself!) bite the dust without a suitable replacement.
Born at Muhlenberg 12/13/46
afinity@Aaol.com
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