Hackensack Meridian warns closure of Monmouth Medical Center will endanger patients and strain hospitals

3Long 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