A message from Audrey Meyers, President and Chief Executive Officer, Valley Health System and The Valley Hospital

As you may have heard, Hackensack University Medical Center is seeking state approval to open a for-profit, acute-care hospital in Westwood at the site of the former Pascack Valley Hospital (PVH). The closure of PVH produced increased occupancy rates and financial stability at all Bergen County hospitals. In addition, the closing underscored the fundamental premise, confirmed by Governor Corzine’s New Jersey Commission on Rationalizing Health Care Resources, that there had been too many acute-care beds in Bergen County.

The opening of this facility has the potential to weaken all hospitals in Bergen County. As a result, The Valley Hospital and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center have partnered in an effort to voice concerns about HUMC’s plan. A special website,   KeepOurHospitalsHealthy.org, was established to inform the public of the effect HUMC’s plan would have on the communities at large. The site offers visitors the opportunity to sign an online petition asking state legislators to reject HUMC’s application to build a new hospital. The site also offers an option to send a message to your local legislators that registers your concern about all Bergen County hospitals.

While Valley and Englewood support an emergency facility at the PVH site, we do not support adding the infrastructure of an acute-care, inpatient hospital, complete with all of the administration, overhead and equipment needs makes resources redundant and compromises healthcare quality.

If you have not done so already, I encourage you to visit KeepOurHospitalsHealthy.org to learn more.

I would like to close with my sincere thanks for your continued support of The Valley Hospital, especially during this difficult economic climate. It is because of you and your support that Valley can offer new programs and services to meet the healthcare needs of the community. Please accept my thanks for your commitment to making Valley the hospital of choice for all.