Pallone Demands State Health Commissioner Deny Application to Close Long Branch Hospital

LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today released the following statement following the final New Jersey State Health Planning Board meeting on the future of Monmouth Medical Center:

“At this point, Commissioner Brown has all the information he needs to do the right thing and keep Monmouth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch open. The State Health Planning Board has raised serious, unresolved concerns about access to care, transportation barriers, existing health disparities, and the strain this move would place on surrounding hospitals. If the Commissioner were to decide to close the Long Branch hospital after all of that has been put plainly on the record, it would be a conscious decision to ignore the facts, the data, and the voices of this community. Long Branch deserves real health care access, not more excuses.”

“We have been crystal clear: the consequences of closing Monmouth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch would be immediate and lasting. Patients would face longer travel times for emergency care, particularly seniors. The loss of a full-service hospital would push patients farther from trauma care, inpatient beds, and a comprehensive emergency department. This would delay treatment when minutes matter and increase the risk of worse health outcomes.”

“Over time, the closure of the Long Branch Hospital would weaken the entire regional health care safety net. Nearby hospitals would be forced to absorb additional patients despite already operating near or at capacity, leading to longer wait times, fewer available beds, and increased pressure on emergency departments. Long Branch, a diverse, working-class community with well-documented health disparities, would bear the brunt of that strain, widening gaps in care and leaving residents with fewer options and less stability.”

“The Commissioner should not let a low-income community become a hospital desert because RWJ Barnabas wants to capture a wealthier population in Tilton Falls.”