Memorial Hospital of Salem County

The Memorial Hospital of Salem County (MHSC) is a hospital in Salem County, New Jersey, United States.[1][2] The hospital was founded in 1919, after which it operated as a non-profit.[2][3] It was founded in downtown Salem and moved to Mannington Township in 1951.[4] It has 126 beds, and in 2017, New Jersey approved a plan to sell it to Prime Healthcare Foundation.

Memorial Hospital of Salem County
Community Health Systems
Geography
LocationSalem, New Jersey, United States
Organization
TypeFor-profit (since 2002)
Services
Beds140
History
Opened1919
Links
Websitehttps://www.mhschealth.com/

History

In 2002, Community Health Systems acquired Memorial Hospital for $34 million.[1] When the purchase occurred, the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation was formed, with the goal over overseeing donations and proceeds acquired by MHSC.[5] This was because the state required the proceeds from the sale to Community Health Systems to be "overseen by a foundation that would pay to enhance medical services in the area."[6] However, 12 years later, Senate President Steve Sweeney argued that the foundation was sitting on $56 million, and had "disbursed very little to expand health care services."[6]

In 2010, a plan by MHSC to close its maternity ward was withdrawn after public outcry.[2] In November 2013, the hospital's board again applied to close its maternity ward, so it could allocate resources to other areas such as surgical infrastructure. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services approved the decision on April 1, 2014.[2] The health department noted that the hospital had only one obstetrician at the staff, and births at the hospital had dropped from 385 in 2004 to 155 in 2012.[2] As a condition of the closure, the hospital was still required to transport patients to other inpatient maternity services, or provide emergency stabilization to women arrive pregnant, and delivery in cases where birth is imminent. A local healthcare union spoke out against the decision, and Health Professionals and Allied Employees argued the closure would negatively affect local income-women.[2] In the end of May 2014, the hospital closed its maternity ward.[2]

In 2014, lawmakers in New Jersey drafted legislation to make it easier to sell Memorial Hospital to a potential non-profit purchaser.[5][6]

In 2015, Community Health Systems Inc. agreed to sell the assets of Memorial Hospital of Salem County to Prime Healthcare Foundation. It also sold all related outpatient services.[1] The hospital CEO Ryan Jensen resigned in December 2016, after joining as CEO in May 2014.[3] The hospital had shrunk somewhat in size by then, and apart from closing its maternity ward it had decreased its beds from 140 to 126 in terms of registration.[3] In that month, the hospital also re-elected new board members.[7] The sale of the hospital was approved by the New Jersey State Health Planning Board in early February 2017, for $15 million. The facility had 126 beds.[8] The board voted 7 to 0 in approval of the sale to Prime Healthcare Foundation.[4] On the same day the state approved the sale Prime Healthcare backed out of the deal. The hospital is currently still looking for a buyer. In 2018, Community Healthcare Associates announced plans to acquire Memorial Hospital of Salem County. The plan was approved and CHA acquired the hospital on February 1, 2019, renaming the hospital “Salem Medical Center.”

See also

References
  1. "Tennessee firm sells South Jersey hospital": Philadelphia Business Journal on December 1, 2015, author John George
  2. Young, Alex. "Memorial Hospital of Salem County to close maternity ward", NJ.com, April 8, 2014. Accessed April 16, 2017.
  3. Gallo Jr, Bill. "Memorial Hospital of Salem County CEO resigns", NJ.com, December 15, 2016. Accessed April 16, 2017.
  4. "What's next after N.J. hospital sale gets key approval from state": NJ.com on February 2, 2017, author Bill Gallo Jr.
  5. "Poll: Should Memorial Hospital of Salem County be sold?": NJ.com / South Jersey Times on October 28, 2014, author Don E. Woods
  6. "N.J. lawmakers push bill allowing Salem hospital to go non-profit if sold": The Star-Ledger on Susan K. Livio, October 25, 2014
  7. "Memorial Hospital of Salem County board re-elects leadership team" by NJ.com on December 16, 2016, community bulletin
  8. Brubaker, Harold. "Sale of Memorial Hospital of Salem County approved": The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 2, 2017. Accessed April 16, 2017.

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