Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center Unveils State-of-the-Art Patient Pavilion to Transform Campus

$714 million investment will create modern surgical suites and private rooms

Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, the flagship hospital of New Jersey’s most comprehensive and integrated health network, is transforming its campus with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art patient pavilion along Second Street in Hackensack, New Jersey. With a gross square footage of 530,000 square feet (438,000 usable sq. ft.), the building will feature nine floors of cutting-edge technology and a superior design to provide patients and families with world-class acute care, while enhancing comfort and privacy.

"This large-scale, innovative project will truly transform the Hackensack University Medical Center campus, preparing us to effectively meet the growing needs of our patients and the communities we serve," said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “As Bergen County’s first hospital and the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state, Hackensack University Medical Center has always been setting the standard for excellence in health care.  This is a major investment to elevate our best-in-class health care services and modernize our facilities to ensure we are providing patients the world-class, cutting-edge care they deserve.”

Hackensack University Medical Center is prioritizing the enhancement of the patient experience and will privatize and modernize all patient rooms over the next 10 years.  The new pavilion, dedicated to improving patient care, is the first step in that process and will feature 24 new operating rooms, new and improved Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, as well as three floors of private patient rooms. In addition, the building will include:

New Second Street entrance/visitor lobby

A visitor center

A new central sterile processing department

24 operating rooms including an intraoperative MRI

50 ICU beds

Shell space for an additional 25 ICUs

100 medical-surgical beds

50 bed Orthopedic Institute

“This innovative project reflects our network’s deep commitment to better serving the needs of patients and families,” said Gordon N. Litwin, Esq., chair, Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees. “This new pavilion will provide an enhanced patient experience, while preserving the privacy, respect and dignity our patients and families deserve. Our patients are at the heart of the work we do, and we will continue to pursue groundbreaking initiatives that advance the network’s world-class, patient- and family-centered care well into the future.”

Hackensack University Medical Center is the primary teaching site for the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.  Hackensack University Medical Center’s renovation, expansion and modernization plans will ensure its campus will be able to accommodate the growing needs of the region and continue operating at the highest standards.  The new pavilion, which spans Second Street, will become the largest building on campus.

“This is a significant moment for Hackensack University Medical Center. With our innovative, new pavilion, we are elevating the standard of health care not only in New Jersey, but across the country,” said Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., regional president, northern market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Hackensack University Medical Center will celebrate its 130th anniversary this year, and I am confident that with these transformational changes, we will be well-positioned to successfully serve this community and the region for another 130 years.”

“This project reflects Hackensack University Medical Center’s ongoing commitment to successfully meet the needs of the entire region to provide superior highly complex, tertiary and quaternary care,” said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president and chief hospital executive of Hackensack University Medical Center and executive vice president, population health, Hackensack Meridian Health.  “As the delivery of health care has advanced and the complexity of surgery has changed, there is a critical need for more physical space to effectively deliver high-quality care.  This new pavilion will ensure Hackensack University Medical Center remains on the forefront of patient care with cutting-edge operating rooms and modern patient accommodations.”

RSC Architects of Hackensack is the lead architect partnered with EYP Architects of Houston, Texas. The RSC/EYP team provides extensive expertise in the design of healthcare facilities, including projects with Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health, supplemented by an intimate knowledge of the local market. The team was selected through a competitive bidding process. During the design process, the team collaborated with physicians, administrators, and team members to ensure optimal workflow was incorporated into the final design. Stantec Consulting is providing project management services/Owner’s representative services for the overall project. The W.M. Blanchard and Turner Construction Company have created a joint venture to provide construction management services for the project.

Hackensack University Medical Center is the largest employer in Bergen County with more than 8,000 employees.  It will continue to maintain 781 beds even after this project is completed.

Construction on the project is expected to begin this summer with 2022 projected as the opening.  A surface lot near campus will be used to address parking accommodations.  Efforts to relocate utilities and infrastructure in the Second Street courtyard will begin immediately.