A Hudson County Hospital bankruptcy was sentenced to a fine of $ 247,500 by the Ministry of Health for months of violations of infections control.
In a letter of April 17 In Dr. Marie T. Duffy, CEO of Carepoint Health Christ Hospital in Jersey City, state health officials said that inspectors had found the gaps in June after receiving a complaint “concerning patient care”.
CarePoint Health was the owner of the hospital at the time of the inspection. Hudson Regional Health was approved last week to acquire the Christ and its sister facilities, Hoboken Medical Center and Bayonne Medical Center.
Neither CarePoint Health nor Hudson Regional Health immediately responded to a request for comments.
The state survey inspection team found that the hospital “had not guaranteed that environmental cleaners and disinfectants had been used”, did not follow the rules that require the declaration of transmitted diseases and did not guarantee staff to practice adequate hand hygiene. The professional in the fight against hospital infections did not hold certification from the Board of Directors, as required by the letter.
State surveyors also said that the hospital had not cleaned the “care point devices” between patient visits. A care point device is a portable electronic tool, such as a blood sugar monitor or a thermometer.
The health service first shared the list of shortcomings with the hospital in September, according to the letter. The Christ Christ was sentenced to a fine of $ 2,500 a day from June 20, when the inspection started until September 27 for a total of $ 247,500.
The hospital has 30 days to call on fines to a judge in administrative law. He can also request an audience to contest the conclusions within the framework of the informal process of settlements of the Department of Health.
The health service has already sentenced to the hospital of Christ. In 2023, the hospital was sentenced to a fine because his parent company, Carepoint, did not ask for the required state Before transferring the hospital from a for -profit to a non -profit owner. The state inflicted a fine of $ 37,000.
In October, The state inflicted a fine of $ 35,000 because the hospital had not appointed three members of the community’s board of directors.
CarePoint Health was more than $ 108 million in debt When he deposited the bankruptcy of chapter 11 last year In the middle of the merger plans with Hudson Regional Health. In January, however, CarePoint Updated his file to reveal that he was actually $ 300 million in debt After the health service, strongly questioned the disclosure of non -profit society.
The new health system made up of Christ Hospital, the Hoboken Medical Center, the Bayonne Medical Center and the Regional Health Hudson will be called Hudson Health.
Susan K. Livio can be reached slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Susanklivio.