CarePoint Health Will Continue to Serve Hudson County Under the Stewardship of a New Community-Based, Non-Profit Organization

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 4, 2021 — CarePoint Health, an independent healthcare system providing consistent, equitable, and localized care in Hudson County since 2008, will enter a new chapter of stewardship following the formation of a community-based, non-profit organization. The non-profit will be led by CarePoint CEO Achintya Moulick MD, MBA in collaboration with local community leaders to ensure community control of the hospitals moving forward. This announcement follows recent news that Christ Hospital is now ranked the Most Socially Responsible Hospital in the US by The Lown Institute, a ranking based on hospital equity, value, and outcomes.

CarePoint Health employs over 3,000 people in Hudson County and provides acute care to a majority of the county’s population, including treatment of more than 22,000 COVID-19 patients to date over the course of the pandemic. The importance of such consistent safety net hospital care in urban areas cannot be understated. Between 1970 and 2010, 46% of urban hospitals in major US cities were closed, many of which were independent community hospitals that cared for underserved populations. CarePoint continues to care for a high percentage of uninsured and Medicaid patients, especially at Christ Hospital and Hoboken University Medical Center where they make up approximately 60% of the current patient mix. The transition to non-profit control will open up a wide array of opportunities to support Hudson County’s underserved patients moving forward.

Dr. Achintya Moulick will oversee the formation of the new non-profit which was conceived in collaboration with the founders, Mr. Vivek Garipalli and Mr. James Lawler, who, along with their affiliates, will pledge their majority interest in CarePoint Health hospitals and Christ Hospital land. Dr. Moulick is presently engaging in discussions with key Hudson County community members and an official announcement of the new board formation and non-profit mission statement will follow in due course. Mr. Garipalli and Mr. Lawler will step down from their roles of oversight following the formation of the new non-profit board.

“The formation of a new non-profit will allow the three-hospital system to continue its trajectory of bringing in multiple tertiary level clinical services with nationally known clinical organizations while giving these precious assets back to the community. This is a significant milestone that will secure the provision of accessible healthcare in Hudson County,” said CarePoint CEO Achintya Moulick, MD, MBA. “The pandemic has shown community hospitals to be the cornerstones of healthcare delivery in Northern New Jersey and the transition to a non-profit is the best way to ensure we remain so for future generations.”

“Dr. Moulick and CarePoint’s leadership team have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to preserving community healthcare in Hudson County, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. After working closely with Dr. Moulick, we decided together that CarePoint is ready to begin its next chapter under the guidance of a new non-profit board,” says Vivek Garipalli, co-founder of CarePoint Health. “Following 13 years of hard work transforming the hospitals, our biggest priority is preserving CarePoint’s future so that the hospitals remain a vital resource for families in Hudson County for many years to come.”

“Safety net hospitals have a precarious existence, placing incredible stress on organizations that are dedicated to serving our most vulnerable citizens. Having spent well over 40 years working to sustain safety net hospitals in New York and New Jersey, I’ve seen firsthand how critical this care is for our underserved populations and how challenging it is for colleagues to maintain, often against all odds,” says James Lawler, co-founder of CarePoint. “It has always been our intention to move from stabilizing the hospitals, to securing their future, and today is the culmination of that work.”

Since joining CarePoint in January of 2020, Dr. Moulick has enhanced quality and significantly expanded services available to the community with new programs and institutional affiliations:

• In May 2021, Christ Hospital launched a Women’s Health Pavilion that offers a comprehensive range of full-service imaging performed by expert radiologists, including digital screening and diagnostic mammography, MRI, bone density scans, and interventional radiology.
• The Healthcare Innovation Center opened in July 2021 at Bayonne Medical Center and strives to improve the patient experience and deliver actionable insights by connecting ideas, thought leaders, and technologies.
• As of August 1, 2021, CarePoint’s participation agreements with remaining “out-of-network” insurance carriers took effect, giving most patients in Hudson County in-network access to CarePoint Health. CarePoint is now officially “in network” with all major insurance carriers in New Jersey.

The transition to non-profit stewardship opens up new opportunities for hospital staff, patients, and the greater Hudson County community. Moving forward, CarePoint’s objectives include growing its oncology services, providing comprehensive cardiac care, establishing the only interventional stroke program in Hudson County, and further developing subspecialized surgical services.