South Jersey hospital is on life support, lawmakers say, seeing rescue in disputed trust fund

The Memorial Hospital of Salem County, which has been struggling for years, remains on life support and desperately needs an infusion of cash from a trust fund to keep its doors open, state lawmakers said Tuesday.

A trio of lawmakers led by state Senate President Steve Sweeney (D., Gloucester), called for the return of the $51 million trust fund to Salem County to help facilitate the sale of the hospital. The money was set aside for the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation when the hospital was sold earlier, in 2002.

“This is not their money, it belongs to the people of Salem County and is supposed to be used to support medical care in the area,” said Sweeney said in a statement. “The funds are a key ingredient to facilitate the sale to a non-profit that will keep the hospital open and provide medical care for the region. Salem Memorial is the only acute care facility in the region and it is needed to provide medical care.”

Sweeney, joined at a news conference outside the hospital by Deputy Assembly Speaker John Burzichelli and Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro, also Gloucester County Democrats, said the funds would be used by the Inspira Health Network, which wants to buy the hospital.

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