Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health System shared plans for its nearly $1 billion hospital expansion project at an Oct. 29 town hall after local officials requested more time before public engagement.
Six notes:
1. Atlantic Health provided details on its proposed five-year expansion project for Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center in an Oct. 24 news release shared with Becker's, including:
- An 11-story patient care pavilion to accommodate 180 inpatient beds and 20 operating rooms
- A two-story addition to Goryeb Children's Hospital with 25 inpatient beds
- A parking garage to replace a current structure
- A specialty medical building
2. The Oct. 29 town hall took place at the hospital. Local officials will host their own town hall Nov. 14, the Morristown Daily Record reported Oct. 29.
3. The initial public meeting was supposed to take place the previous week, according to an Oct. 23 statement from Morristown Mayor Timothy Dougherty.
"We believe it would be irresponsible to move forward with the public engagement process without ensuring that all information has been reviewed by our professionals and available to the public to ensure that they have a complete picture," he said in the statement.
4. If the project is approved, construction would be expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025 and be completed in 2030, the Daily Record reported.
5. "Our commitment throughout this planning process has been to be transparent and collaborative with our neighbors, stakeholders and local leadership," Luke Margolis, a system spokesperson, said in a statement shared with Becker's. "We look forward to more conversation with another town hall next month as we all work together to ensure Morristown Medical Center is able to continue providing convenient access to world-class care to our entire community."
6. The expansion project will likely require approval from the town and local zoning changes, the Daily Record reported.