On Monday night, the Glen Ridge borough council passed a resolution in support of the pending transfer of Mountainside Hospital to Montclair Health System, LLC, a joint venture between LHP Hospital Group, Inc. (LHP) and HackensackUMC. The proposed transfer was originally announced in February.
The Department of Health and Senior Services still needs to approve the measure. In the meantime, candidate for Councilor-at-Large Bob Russo, who is running on the Montclair 2012 slate, released a statement about the issue:
As the former Mayor of Montclair, and a Councilmember for many years, I am concerned about the loss of any medical services to our residents in Montclair and Glen Ridge, especially the elderly. My own 93 year old mother has been treated in the past by the excellent doctors and staff at Mountainside Hospital, and I have also had good care at this outstanding medical facility.
I urge a thorough review of this application and ask that nothing be approved or allowed which will diminish the good care and services provided to our residents by Mountainside Hospital.
Baristanet has reached out to Russo for comment and we will update this story.
Who asked him?
Good Grief, even his grandstanding is bumbling. It’s not like Hackensack University Medical Center (one of the State’s leading Hospitals) just fell off the turnip truck or won’t know how to run a hospital.
https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/hackensack-university-medical-center-6220340
I suspect it will be a vast improvement.
Note to self – don’t vote for this jackass.
https://www.baristanetnew.wpengine.com/2012/04/the-weekend-jazz-theater-art-broadway-books-and-more/
Russo Has Reservations About Louis Armstrong Workshops
As the former Mayor of Montclair, and a Councilmember for many years, I am concerned about the change of any musical tastes in our residents in Montclair and Glen Ridge, especially the elderly. My own 93 year old mother has been tapping her toes to Dizzy Gillespie for many years. She’s pretty happy with the Satchmo-Free music she receives now and I’m very concerned about any changes.
I urge a thorough review of this workshop and ask that nothing be approved or allowed which will diminish the good taste of Jazz fans in Montclair and Glen Ridge.
He makes a lot of Reservations.
ROC,
“My own 93 year old mother has been tapping her toes to Dizzy Gillespie for many years. She’s pretty happy with the Satchmo-Free music she receives now and I’m very concerned about any changes.”
That was my most favorite comment you have ever made. I’m still laughing out loud.
me too Georgette, that is so funny.
I like Bob Russo but in this case, I have to agree with ROC (oh, Heaven forbid!) This can only bee seen as an improvement since HUMC IS one of the best hospitals in the state. My own experience with Mountainside has been good but I can’t speak for everyone else. I have heard less than stellar reviews, particularly regarding the care one receives in the ER. So I can’t see how this can be a bad thing.
My one experience at Mountainside was an experience where I was diagnosed with an acute life-threatening illness, and was left to languish for 9 hours in the ER before finally being placed in the ICU. I literally had to lie down on the floor before anybody paid attention to me.
I left the next day “against medical advice” and went to Hackensack, where I was treated on an ongoing basis, and finally cured. Everyone agreed that there was no question that I could be successfully treated at Mountainside.
On what basis does Mr. Russo think that any services would be compromised by hHUMC taking over? It could be nothing but a vast improvement.
Lets see Hackensack Univerrsity Medical Center becoming part of Mountainside. That would be the hospital that:
HealthGrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™, one of HealthGrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention™,
One of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cancer centers, and ranks in the top 10 for patient volume. Comprehensive medical and surgical pediatric care in more than 30 specialties. Ranked in the top 10 percent of women’s hospitals nationwide by HealthGrades and the recipient of the Women’s Health Excellence Award™ for five consecutive years.
That is the one right. I must be missing the downside.
Another great opinion by one of our candidates.
Bloomer, that sounds awful. I’m glad you’re doing all right.
I delivered my baby at Mountainside last year (emergency surgery). The experience was awful. The facility is run down and the staff didn’t follow basic procedures in administering dosages. I would hope that this makes for an improvement. I will not return to Mountainside for any reason again.
It’s the end of the line for Bob Russo. He means well and has a good heart. He trys to help people in the spirit of the Kennedy 60’s. But the world and policies have become more complex and nuanced than his “fight the good fight” against the bad guys mindset.
While Russo does not lay down to power — and has been punished politically by the democratic machine as a result, he also does not formulate his policy positions to address the now more complex detail shades of grey. In this case it’s that hospital systems are combining all over to gain more efficiencies from administration. Instead, Russo jumps the gun and reacts — as if it was a 60’s struggle…too often in the past first measuring which way the wind is blowing.
Sorry Bob. Mountainside is better than it’s been of late but is still not to speed. A tie-in with a bigger and better university for management could be just the right thing.
Nice try to get some issue traction. But the looking at the details are what really counts.
All I can say is, isn’t a bit late to be bringing this up now? This has been in the news and being discussed for months and it strikes me odd that only now Mr. Russo brings this up. Whether any of us are for it or against it, is beside the point, Bob just seems totally political now and looking for press. Sorry Bob, you are a nice guy but…………….a bit late. By the way, I do think the change of ownership is good for the surrounding area.
Thank you, walleroo. I’m doin good.
BTW, when i was at Mountainside even the people who WORKED at Mountainside urged me to go to Hackensack.
I certainly hope they find their niche.
While I think regional hospitals are a good thing, I struggle with why one would go there. My pediatrician told me to lay down in the road in front on any ambulance that wants to take my kids there. He said the same to my father who is always thinking he is having a coronary.
Why go somewhere like Mountainside when you have St. Joes, Morristown, Overlook and to a lesser extent St. Barnabas recruiting top experts in their field from major NY teacing hospitals.
That all said, it seems they are building their joint replacement program, and their PT dept is fantastic. All not part of the hospital I am told.
BTW….Hackensack is not without issues. Their kidneyt transplant program has 3xs as many deaths as the national average and has been suspended
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/hackensack_hospital_suspends_k.html
It’s great to have a local hospital … let’s hope that this all works out.
Mountainside Hospital has a horrible reputation. All our local doctors advise us strongly to never go there. I was just there a few weeks ago in the emergency room because I thought I had broken a finger on my right hand and it is close by and it was a Sunday, my finger was horribly swollen. Xrays showed it was just a bad sprain. After the aide gave me this news she then gingerly handed me tape and gauze so that I could wrapped up my finger myself. Too bad I’m a right handed.