At Thursday's final State Health Planning Board hearing on RWJ Barnabas Health's plan to close Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) hospital in Long Branch, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) delivered testimony in opposition to RWJ Barnabas's plan to close one of New Jersey's best hospitals. "Simply put, RWJ Barnabas' plan to close the Long Branch hospital puts profits over people. Period. They are abandoning a poorer, more diverse city for a significantly wealthier, less diverse suburb,” Pallone said. Pallone has opposed the disastrous plan from day one, arguing that RWJ Barnabas is abandoning a lower-income area to build a concierge hospital in Tinton Falls. For months, he has demanded fair hearings and an opportunity for community members to be heard after two chaotic and inaccessible hearings: one announced illegally, the other held in a cramped off-site venue in Eatontown where opponents were left outside in the freezing cold while RWJBarnabas employees filled the seats. Today's is the final public hearing before RWJ Barnabas's plan is approved by state officials.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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