The Greenville Hospital: A Brief History of Neighborhood Care, Demographic Shifts, and Healthcare Service Consolidation

Peacock Scholarship

Public Deposited

Abstract

This thesis traces the history of the Greenville Hospital in Jersey City, particularly from the lenses of broader patterns of hospital care shifts. The institution shifted from a neighborhood "safety-net" institution in the late 1800s to a facility part of a healthcare corporation in the early 2000s. On a national level, the hospital's story reflects how a community institution supported by mutual aid and local fundraising led to a system-based management that emphasized efficient use of resources and financial performance. The Greenville Hospital was founded by German immigrants as a communal institution, yet its mission changed as the model of care changed towards the late 1900s. Towards the end of the century, policy changes and reimbursement issues also contributed to the loss of that initial mission of care. In the early 2000s, the hospital was treated as a financial failure for LibertyHealth Systems, the larger network that managed the hospital. After this, the hospital began to experience service reductions that eventually led to its complete closure. Some of the research methods utilized include tract-level census data along with newspaper articles, New Jersey State Planning Board meeting records, and other secondary sources.

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