Moving N.J. Hospital Will Harm Patients and Hurt Workers
The proposed shift of Monmouth Medical Center from Long Branch to Tinton Falls is one of Monmouth County’s most contentious health problems. Frontline workers and many others perceive this policy as more than a move. It could affect medical care, jobs, and community inequality.
Thousands of workers depend on Monmouth Medical Center for compensation. Custodial, food, patient transport, and support staff are stretched by rising costs. Without cars, many walk or take public transit to work. Moving the hospital miles away would hurt these workers. Longer commutes, unreliable transportation, and higher travel costs would squeeze already-strapped workers.
Insecurity about work is growing. Internal disclosures show only a portion of service-sector staff will be retained if the relocation goes forward. Lower-wage workers with fewer resources and flexibility predict layoffs. Longtime hospital professionals fear being replaced.
Long Branch locals fear patient harm. After a full-service hospital closed, thousands of uninsured residents, seniors, and families in a highly populated, diverse coastal city without vital care. A substitute satellite clinic cannot provide the same services. Local emergency, maternity, cardiac, inpatient, and advanced response services would be unavailable. The move leaves many chronically ill people around the hospital feeling abandoned.
When the public learned the relocation hearing would be place outside Long Branch in a health system-owned building, tensions grew. One facility was too small for the crowd, leaving elderly, disabled, and working families waiting outside in cold temperatures. Many were silent, raising concerns about decision-making transparency and justice.
Residents felt disregarded after hours of participation. Many wondered why a crucial hearing was not held in Long Branch at convenient hours and a neutral site.
Longtime labor leaders and community groups warn migration threatens jobs and local health. To keep hospitals safe and efficient, they say frontline staff decisions must be made properly. They also worry that withdrawing emergency and specialty services from Long Branch could leave vulnerable people without lifelines.
Community leaders and public officials want the state to reconsider the relocation. They claim the proposal unfairly burdens workers, reduces indigent treatment, and hinders the county’s health emergency response.
Hospitals go beyond buildings. It underpins many families’ healthcare with trust, support, and stability. Critics say big decisions should consult the community at every level.
With so much at stake, many want state officials to reject the concept and insist on a transparent, community-focused strategy that protects workers and patients. Residents and supporters think Long Branch’s health-care future is too important to decide privately.
Sources
Monmouth County community statements
Public hearing testimony
Worker advocacy groups
New Jersey health-care policy reviewers
