1. It is hereby declared that a serious public emergency exists affecting the health, safety and welfare of the people of the State resulting from the fact that many health care facilities throughout the State are no longer adequate to meet the needs of modern health care. Inadequate and outmoded facilities deny to the people of the State the benefits of health care of the highest quality, efficiently and promptly provided at a reasonable cost. As a result, health care providers are restructuring their organizations, facilities and operations in order to develop integrated health care delivery systems capable of providing a full range of health care services in the most cost-effective manner.

It is the purpose of this act to ensure that all health care institutions have access to financial resources to improve the health and welfare of the citizens of the State. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to encourage the provision of modern, well-equipped health care facilities, and such provision is hereby declared to be a public use and purpose.

It is also the purpose of this act to provide assistance in the restructuring of the health care system of the State and to aid in the termination of the provision of hospital acute care services at such locations as may no longer be useful or necessary for this purpose.

L.1972,c.29,s.1; amended 1997, c.435, s.2; 2000, c.98, s.1.