Long Branch, NJ – Hackensack Meridian Health is condemning the New Jersey Department of Health’s decision to move forward with RWJ Barnabas Health’s application to close Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, warning that the move will jeopardize patient safety and destabilize the region’s healthcare system.
The health network said the plan would “effectively abandon Long Branch’s most vulnerable residents,” calling the proposal a drastic cut to essential services in a community already facing limited transportation and access to medical care.
Hackensack Meridian argued that replacing a full-service acute care hospital with a smaller satellite clinic would leave uninsured, minority, and chronically ill patients without nearby emergency, cardiac, and maternity care.
Fears of regional impact
In its statement, Hackensack Meridian said closing Monmouth Medical Center would have a ripple effect on neighboring facilities, including Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank.
“Given Jersey Shore University Medical Center is the closest hospital, we anticipate an overwhelming influx of patients from Long Branch, pushing our facility—already one of the busiest in the state—to a breaking point,” the statement read.
The network noted that while expansion plans for Jersey Shore University Medical Center are underway, they were not designed to absorb the added volume from a hospital closure of this scale.
Access to care at risk
Hackensack Meridian emphasized that Long Branch’s population is growing and requires more healthcare access, not less. The loss of rapid cardiac and stroke treatment, along with birthing and acute care services, would disproportionately affect residents who cannot travel long distances for emergency treatment.
Next steps and opposition
Calling the Department of Health’s move “the first step in the process,” Hackensack Meridian vowed to oppose the plan “through all potential avenues” to preserve hospital-level care in Long Branch and protect healthcare access for greater Monmouth County.
The health system said it will continue fighting to “ensure access to vital, life-saving acute care services” for residents of Long Branch, Neptune, and surrounding communities.