An official from the New Jersey Department of Health warned Hudson Regional Health that they can’t close Heights University Hospital in Jersey City overnight in a letter issued the same day they announced they would be cutting non-essential services in the next month. “Be advised that HRH cannot simply close a hospital overnight. Then on Sunday, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), another Jersey City mayoral candidate, called for “a task force of all levels of government” to be formed to ensure the former Christ Hospital remains open. Any reduction in services will only compound these struggles, placing even greater strain on our local healthcare system and possibly leaving Jersey City Medical Center as the sole provider for our city. Everyone will feel the ripple effects: longer wait and travel times, reduced access to preventive care, and poorer health outcomes.