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The basics:

• WARN notice lists 967 jobs at Bayonne University Hospital
• Filing tied to ownership transfer, not permanent layoffs
• Changes take effect June 29 amid HRH takeover
• Move follows recent Jersey City hospital closure

Hudson Regional Health will cut nearly 1,000 jobs at Bayonne University Hospital in June, in a procedural move tied to its takeover of the facility following the recent shuttering of its Jersey City location.

Bayonne University Hospital lists 967 eliminated positions in an April WARN Notice filing with the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

According to the notice, the layoffs are effective June 29.

“In 2024, HRH marked a milestone moment for health care in Hudson County as it took over operations at Bayonne University Hospital following the previous operator’s declaration of bankruptcy,” HRH Vice President of Community and External Affairs Vijay Chaudhuri told NJBIZ in a statement. “HRH has reassured staff this ongoing process currently involves a transfer of ownership, license and operating business, which triggered a legal requirement of a WARN notice as Bayonne’s employees will be transitioned to HRH’s new ownership.

“Over the past 15 months, HRH has invested tens of millions of dollars to enhance care at Bayonne University Hospital and remains committed to advancing the hospital as a premier acute-care facility in the tri-state region.”

NJDOL did not return a request for clarification or additional detail on the WARN filing, or filings of this kind.

Hudson County hospitals

Hudson Region Health acquired that facility, the former Bayonne Medical Center, along with three other Hudson County CarePoint Health hospitals out of bankruptcy last year. HRH officially launched last May. At the time, the system said Chairman Yan Moshe invested more than $120 million to establish sound footing for the exit.

HRH also includes Hoboken University Hospital (formerly Hoboken University Medical Center) and Secaucus University Hospital (formerly Hudson Regional Hospital.) In March, the system shuttered the former Christ Hospital in Jersey City after a failed attempt to keep providing emergency department services.

The health care system took control in Bayonne in November 2023, with several upgrades planned. At the time, the move to Hudson Regional Health drew praise for the stability it would offer residents and patients.

“This is the first time in maybe 25 or 30 years that I am confident that we have owners of Bayonne Hospital, and we are not going through this in another 10 years from now again,” then-Bayonne Mayor James Davis said when HRH assumed control. “It all comes down to their dedication to what they see in the city of Bayonne. On behalf of the city, thank you for what you do for us.”

In February of this year, Bayonne Medical Center offered a peek at the work on social media, including the facility’s new lobby.

Lingering questions

HPAE responded to the news in Bayonne saying the layoff notices sow “uncertainty and confusion” in the community.

Despite Hudson Regional Health’s explanation, the state’s largest union of registered nurses and health care professionals said it “takes this threat very seriously.”

“The claim that they sent out layoff notices as a precautionary measure while they restructure the company simply does not make sense,” HPAE President Debbie White said in a statement.

She continued, “If they plan to transfer the license to another operator, they must go through the Department of Health. If HRH intends to reduced services, as they have in Jersey City, we would, along with the community, challenge those actions. The Department of Health also regulates reduction of services. … As a union, we’re prepared to challenge any actual layoff notices related to restructuring. We will strongly defend our contract and our members’ rights.”

The Jersey City journey

Elsewhere in Hudson County, HRH drew attention and much consternation over the March 14 closure of Heights University Hospital. Jersey City officials blasted the system for ending services, highlighting the gap in care it leaves for the community, as well as past promises to keep the facility operating.

Elected officials have since committed to exploring how to restore health care access in the neighborhood.

HRH cited financial losses, infrastructure challenges and the payer mix as contributing to the closure. Similar challenges are prevalent across the field, and expected to deepen as changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act impact providers and the funding available to them.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:09 p.m. April 7, 2026, to include remarks from HPAE President Debbie White.