Elected leaders say if RWJ Barnabas Health buys CarePoint Health, Bayonne Medical Center -- which is owned by CarePoint Health -- could be closed.
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis says it is a health care crisis.
"My message to CarePoint and RWJ Barnabas is simple: If you want to close our hospital, you're going to have to come through me," Davis said. "Bayonne Medical Center has been a pillar of our community for a hundred years, and the people of Bayonne must have a full-service hospital in our city. Anything less than that is unacceptable."
Elected officials and residents believe the town's notorious traffic and population density make it essential for the city to have its own hospital.
"What's really upsetting is that CarePoint and RWJ Baranabas believe that they can make a decision that affects our residents without talking to us," Davis said.
RWJ Baranabas released a statement in response to the potential purchase.
"We will comment further if and when there is more information to share," the statement read.
Carepoint also released a statement saying that they are "in the process of seeking a strategic partnership with another health system for its hospitals" and that they "hope to announce something in the near future."
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