Celebrating the historic 150th Anniversary of Christ Hospital, CarePoint Health and its newly-launched Just Health Foundation held a gala event last Thursday night in Jersey City that was attended by over 300 supporters of the nonprofit health system. The event attracted a massive show of support from Hudson County’s elected leaders at the local, county and state levels, with numerous speakers sharing their personal experiences with CarePoint and pledging to advocate for the system to receive the state funding support it needs to continue its mission of treating with compassion and leading with innovation to the communities being served in Hudson County and surrounding areas. The event was led by Marie Duffy, Christ Hospital’s Chief Hospital Executive and Justin Drew, Vice President: Marketing, Strategy & Patient Experience. The Milestone Gala was made possible by the generous sponsors and community leaders who were in attendance.
“The outpouring of support that we received at this event as we marked a historic milestone for one of Hudson County’s pillar institutions was truly inspiring and very meaningful to the members of our CarePoint family who are working hard every day to fulfill our mission of providing excellent care to everyone in need,” said President and CEO of CarePoint Health, Achintya Moulick, MD, MBA, MCh. “I want to thank the elected officials who attended for their kind words, our generous sponsors for making this event a tremendous success and all of the attendees who showed their support for our CarePoint at this memorable event. At this critical time in CarePoint’s history when the need for both our governmental partners and philanthropic benefactors has never been greater, it was heartening to see this outstanding level of support.”
Attendees at the event included Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who spoke eloquently about Christ Hospital’s status as an anchor institution in the community and the need to invest in health equity. Mayor Fulop was joined by Council President Joyce Watterman and Council members Rich Boggiano and Yusef Saleh to present a municipal proclamation congratulating Christ Hospital on its 150th anniversary. A proclamation was also presented on behalf of Hudson County by Commissioner Anthony Romano. Well wishes were given by Assembly members Raj Mukherji, Angela McKnight and Will Sampson, who detailed their personal family experiences with CarePoint and pledged to advocate for additional state funding for the system as it grapples with financial challenges brought on by its status as the state’s top provider of charity care.
The gala event was held at the Hudson House restaurant and wedding venue and featured an elegant cocktail hour reception followed by a sit down dinner where a nine-piece band entertained the crowd long into the night. Christ Hospital Chief Hospital Executive Marie Duffy served as master of ceremonies and gave the crowd a brief overview of the hospital’s 150 year history before honoring several hospital employees who have served in their positions for over 40 years.
Despite insufficient state funding that is not nearly covering the system’s needs, CarePoint continues to care for a population that is 80% African American and Hispanic, with a high percentage of underinsured, uninsured and Medicaid patients, while also providing charity care to 50,000 patients a year. The data clearly underscores these hospitals’ pivotal role in addressing healthcare disparities and building healthier communities across Hudson County and New Jersey, as well as the urgent need for increased state funding.
In 2021, Christ Hospital was ranked #1 in the nation as the most socially responsible hospital. In 2022, Christ Hospital was ranked #4 in the State of New Jersey, and top 25 nationally for Community Benefit. CarePoint’s three hospitals are ranked among the state’s top four for providing care to the under and uninsured, including Hudson County’s homeless population who are finding refuge within the CarePoint Health System.
