Area Legislators Criticize Proposed UMDNJ Changes
A coalition of "Local Talk" area lawmakers on the municipal, Essex County and State Legislature levels are calling on their colleagues to slow the pace of a plan to merge parts of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with Rutgers University here at City Hall Nov. 18.
Mayor Cory A. Booker, flanked by five Municipal Council members and 11 legislative and executives from the county and four state legislative districts, declared that they want a comprehensive fiscal analysis and community impact plan on the proposal to spin off three of UMDNJ's arms to Rutgers. That proposal, the third such since 2003, comes from a report from a merger panel which Gov. Christopher Christie had convened earlier this year.
“New Jersey has invested tremendous resources and energy in making Newark a critical, internationally competitive state hub for higher education, and particularly graduate education,” said Mayor Booker. “With six colleges and universities - NJIT, UMDNJ, Rutgers-Newark, Berkeley College, Essex County College, and Seton Hall Law School - attended by over 40,000 students, Newark is clearly one of America’s top education cities. Any plans for reorganizing UMDNJ and its assets must contribute to the continued vibrancy, strength, and growth of higher education in the greater Newark region.”
Booker, who stood with the likes of State Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Newark), General Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver (D-East Orange) and Donald DiVincenzo (D-Verona), are asking their colleagues to consider five community and fiscal principals as part of their consideration.
“UMDNJ will remain in Newark and the hospital will remain in Newark,” said County Executive DiVincenzo.
“When it comes to this issue, nothing is more important than ensuring quality and accessible health care for Essex County residents, and I am not convinced that this merger plan protects that priority,” said Assembly Speaker Oliver. “Unfortunately it seems as though haste has taken precedence over thoughtful deliberation and careful planning. The Advisory Committee’s incomplete interim report should not be used as a blueprint for action, and any decision should wait for a full presentation of all of the facts that especially analyzes how a merger would impact patient care. Nothing should move forward on this issue until we fully understand how this will impact Essex County residents.”
The current plan, whose interim report was released Sept. 20, calls for UMDNJ to transfer its Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, School of Public Health and Cancer Institute of New Jersey to Rutgers. While the RWJ center is in the same New Brunswick area as Rutgers' main campus, UMDNJ's public health school and cancer institute are in Newark.
The legislative coalition has convened in advance of the panel's anticipated Dec. 15 release of its final report. The State Legislature, once it receives the final report, has 60 days to vote its approval or disapproval.
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