Secaucus, N.J.-based Hudson Regional Hospital's legal counsel sent a letter to the editor of the Jersey Journal responding to a statement a spokesperson had made about Bayonne, N.J.-based CarePoint Health.
The letter specifically addresses a claim, made by a Hudson Regional Health spokesperson, Ron Simoncini, that suggested that CarePoint Health had "long ago planned to exit the market."
Hudson Regional said Mr. Simoncini had given the comment without authorization to do so.
"We disavow and repudiate Mr. Simoncini's comments and ask the Jersey Journal to respect our corporate policy on a going forward basis," states the letter.
At issue in the article was Mr. Simoncini's response after being asked about the possibility of the city of Hoboken, N.J., using eminent domain to acquire Hoboken University Medical Center, which Hudson Regional Hospital currently has under contract.
CarePoint Health responded to the comment in an Aug. 26 press release shared with Becker's.
"Hudson Regional Hospital's desperate attempts to smear CarePoint Health with statements they now admit are false shows a total disregard for the values that Hudson County residents need in a health care provider," said Phil Swibinski, CarePoint Health spokesperson. "Now that the truth has been exposed, CarePoint Health will continue to focus its energy on improving health outcomes for Hudson County residents, providing an extraordinary level of patient-centric care, pioneering new medical technologies and partnering with world-renowned health leaders to better serve patients."
Hudson Regional Hospital did not respond to Becker's request for comment.