NJ hospitals rally against proposed funding cuts

Those are the outcomes doctors, nurses and hospital officials predicted Monday as they rallied outside the Statehouse against Gov. Jon S. Corzine's plan to cut state hospital aid by 14 percent.

The protesters waved signs reading "Some Cuts Never Heal" and "Imagine a Day Without Us," while many wore surgical masks that read, "These cuts make me sick."

Mary Ann Marra works for Columbus Hospital in Newark, which is slated to close, and the Clifton nurse fears more closures.

"You worry about your patients," Marra said. "You worry about what will happen to them if they lose access to health care. You worry about your job security and that of your colleagues."

The cut is part of $2.7 billion in cuts sought by Corzine in his $33 billion budget proposal that aims to fix state finances plagued by chronic deficits and high debt and taxes.

Much of the hospital cut would come from money given by the state to help treat New Jersey's 1.5 million uninsured residents.

"When our patients need help, they know where to turn -to their local community hospital," said Betsy Ryan, New Jersey Hospital Association's president-designee. "But for some hospitals, these cuts will make it very difficult to continue providing that care."

Since 1992, 22 hospitals have closed in New Jersey, including six in the last 18 months. Of the 76 remaining hospitals, half reported losing money.

Corzine recently told hospital officials government and hospitals need to become more efficient.