2 Optum Pediatricians To Remain In Hoboken Following Outcry, Company Says

HOBOKEN, NJ — On the heels of announcing that it will close dozens of medical offices in New Jersey, Optum said on Monday it will restore two pediatricians to Hoboken. READ MORE: Optum Plans To Close Nearly 90 Offices In NJ

While the company will close both Optum Pediatrics offices currently operating in the city on Nov. 30, they will move two of their pediatricians to work out of an existing uptown adult practice, they said.

Previously, the company had planned to relocate one of their Hoboken-based pediatric doctors to a downtown Jersey City office and lay the others off.

“In the past week, we've heard patient feedback and understand the impact these changes have on those we serve," said an Optum spokesman in a statement the company — owned by UnitedHealth — released just after noon on Monday.

"Taking care of our patients remains a top priority, and we have a team in place to make sure questions get answered and prescriptions get filled over the next six months. We've been moved by the outpouring of support for pediatric services in Hoboken and we have decided to continue pediatric services at our Bloomfield Street location after December 1.”

The 1425 Bloomfield St. location will also continue its adult and cardiology services, but remove other specialties, including behavioral health, which the company will no longer offer statewide.

One Patch reader said in the comments below that the closure of behavioral health will cause a serious disruption to patients' care (see comments).

On Friday, the company said that Dr. Chaula Parikh and Dr. Sheeba Ben will continue seeing patients at the new Hoboken location, 1425 Bloomfield St., Side A. To schedule an appointment, call 1-201-876-3215 or book anytime through optum.com/Portal.

Reactions

Patients and parents in Hoboken were concerned about the office closures and glad for an update.

"I was shocked about it," said Emily Jabbour, a Hoboken councilwoman and mother of two. "Whether you see them for regular care or emergency care...when you don't have a strong network of pediatric doctors in a city, you become a pediatric desert."

Hoboken Councilman and father of four Michael Russo said the change may not go far enough.

"While I’m relieved to see Optum partially reverse course, like many other young Hoboken families, my family is trying to navigate what this means for us, and finding the care our children need and deserve," he said. "We have other Hoboken residents coming home from college over break and a sick season just around the corner, and our city needs a more strategic, consistent, and integrated approach moving forward.”

As first reported by Patch last Tuesday, Optum laid off more than 500 doctors, nurses, and medical office workers last month and plans to close dozens of offices statewide at the end of this month.

The offices expected to close including four pediatrics offices in Hudson County — one in Jersey City, two in Hoboken, and one in Secaucus — as well as several specialty offices and behavioral health statewide.

Many of the offices have announced that they will close by Nov. 30, although some staff will be paid through February.

UnitedHealth Group's CEO was quoted late last month as telling investors in a conference call that the company would prune Optum's network of doctors, saying, "To be constructive, sometimes you have to take some things away."

According to four WARN notices filed with the state of New Jersey on Oct. 1 — required in advance of mass layoffs — Optum Care will lay off 372 employees statewide, with most paid through Feb. 2. Separately, Optum Medical Care will lay off 122 employees just in Secaucus. And Optum Select Services and Optum Management are laying off 60 workers total.

Patients around the Garden State had said they were frustrated with the forthcoming closings: READ MORE: Patients Speak Out After Optum Plans To Close Nearly 90 Offices In NJ

Have you been impacted by the planned closings? Let Patch know.