On his Facebook page this morning, state Senator Joe Cryan (D-20) expressed discomfort with Governor Phil Murphy’s proposed health commissioner.

“So yesterday the Governor nominated a new health commissioner, Judy Persichilli, who is leaving her job as CEO of University hospital,” Cryan wrote.

“Why does this matter to 20th district residents? Because she is part of the reason Trinitas was denied Level 2 trauma designation,” the Democratic senator added. “Here is how…and I want to thank Trinitas for taking the issue to the courts, as we fight for health care fairness for Elizabeth and all of Union County.”

Then Cryan posted the following:

UNION –Union County Senator Joseph Cryan today announced that Trinutas is pursuing legal remedy following the Murphy Administration’s decision to award a Level 2 Trauma Designation to the long-troubled University Hospital in Newark instead of Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth.
This determination by Governor Murphy’s Department of Health was made in spite of the fact that Trinitas met all of the necessary requirements to achieve the critical designation and that University Hospital required a state monitor following fiscal and administrative mismanagement. https://www.nj.com/…/an_f_in_safety_a_clash_with_union_and_…
Murphy’s Commissioner of Health, Shereef Elnahal, was named to be the new president and CEO of University Hospital and the interim CEO of that same hospital was just named by the Murphy Administration to be Elnahal’s successor as Health Commissioner.https://www.politico.com/…/elnahal-named-new-president-ceo-…
https://www.nj.com/…/nurse-who-exposed-problems-at-states-o…
“This entire process has been beyond comprehension,” said Cryan. “The multiple appearances of conflict at work here are simply overwhelming and the final decision to reward a hospital that was under state monitor for multiple fiscal and administrative violations at the expense of a hospital that did everything right can no longer be glossed over. This entire process has been handled incorrectly and this issue is too important to the people in my district and the surrounding areas to simply turn a blind eye. We have already begun pursuing every legal option at our disposal.”