City Councilwoman at-Large Crystal Feliciano Issues Statement Regarding the Closing of St. Francis Medical Center

I was both surprised and saddened to learn of the closure of St. Francis Medical Center, where I was born in 1970. This closure is a significant loss for our city’s residents, especially when access to healthcare is vital.

Timely access to critical medical services should be a basic right for all residents. Extensive travel outside the city to access medical treatment and services creates unnecessary barriers, especially for seniors, families with limited transportation, and vulnerable populations.

Capital Health has been a great community partner within the city and has provided the community with medical services and treatment through the years and for that I am grateful.  However, in this instance, I feel that communication could have been more transparent and timelier. Decisions of this magnitude warrant greater collaboration and dialogue with city leadership and the community.

I respectfully urge our State Legislative Representatives to work closely with us to strengthen healthcare access within Trenton and ensure that the city is not left behind. We must begin to work proactively to stop things like this from happening in the future rather than being left with only reactionary solutions.

As your Councilwoman, I remain committed to working with the Mayor, my council colleagues, state officials, healthcare providers, and community leaders to meet this challenge with unity and resolve. My thoughts are with all those affected, and I will continue to advocate fiercely for the health and well-being of our city.

Yesterday, Capital Health learned that the space it is leasing from Trinity Health at the former St. Francis campus needs to begin shutdown activities immediately. 

This includes a shutdown of the Satellite Emergency Department and the outpatient clinic located on Bert Avenue in Trenton (cross street of Hamilton Avenue). Capital Health was advised by structural engineers, architects, and demolition experts that significant structural issues with another adjoining building pose a threat to the integrity and safety of the building these medical services are located in. To protect the safety of employees, patients, visitors, and students, the health care system stated they had no choice but to cease operations at this location without delay. 

As a result, on June 5, the Satellite Emergency Department will no longer be accepting patients.

For patients in need of emergency and acute care medical services, Capital Health operates two other comprehensive emergency departments and inpatient hospitals in Mercer County — one on Brunswick Avenue at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton (around two miles away), and another one at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell on Scotch Road in Pennington (just over eight miles away). 

Emergency medical services (EMS) agencies have been asked to take ambulance transports to other area emergency departments. Patients with emergency medical conditions should call 911 so EMS can transport them to an appropriate emergency department. Patients who choose to transport themselves for medical care should not come to the Hamilton Avenue campus and should instead go to another area emergency department.

Patients who typically use the outpatient clinic for primary or specialty care will be cared for at Capital Health’s 433 Bellevue Avenue (Capital Health East Trenton Clinic/Internal Medicine Residency Clinic) and 832 Brunswick Avenue (walk-in clinic) locations. Patients who utilize the clinics can call 609.815.7296 for help with any questions they may have.