Gusciora comments on court approval of St. Francis sale
TRENTON >> It is no secret that soon there will only be one hospital in the Capital City. Yesterday, the Mercer County Superior Court approved the transfer of ownership of St. Francis Hospital in Trenton, from Trinity Health to Capital Health.
“While unfortunate, this hospital closure has been inevitable for years.” Mayor Reed Gusciora said about the sale. “Yesterday’s court decision confirms that inescapable outcome. However, we have not stood by and allowed the City’s healthcare capabilities to be diminished. We negotiated three key City needs with the private parties during the process, and this court decision ensures those needs can and should still be fully met.”
When Trinity announced they would be leaving the state, causing the merger of Capital Health and St. Francis, Guiscora made three requests.
The state-issued Certificate of Need (CN) designating a Cardiac Care-specialized hospital remain in Trenton, the St. Francis Hospital structure be demolished before being handed over to the City, and the same level of care be offered to residents after the closure and merger.
“The healthcare industry is in transition. Virtual health and home-based services boomed during the pandemic and the market is favoring lower-cost, freestanding, and non-acute sites right now,” Gusciora said. “As I have said, the worst possible outcome would be the outright closure of St. Francis. Had St. Francis closed without being acquired by Capital Health, its CN for cardiac care would have returned to the State with no guarantee it would remain in Trenton. We will continue to monitor the situation and fight for equitable health access for the Capital City.”