Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua Health has abandoned plans to build a $1 billion healthcare campus in Westampton, N.J., according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The new campus was slated to include a more than $500 million replacement hospital for the aging Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly, N.J., and sit on 100 acres of property the system acquired.
However, the health system plans to invest in major renovations and service enhancements at Virtua Memorial Hospital and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, N.J.
The health system told the Business Journal that it is still finalizing its plans and projections, but the investment will be significant at each hospital.
With the revamped plan, Virtua plans to make Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes a regional destination for high-acuity cardiovascular, neuroscience and transplant services. The project also will convert patient rooms into single-occupancy for privacy.
The plans for Virtua Memorial Hospital call for expanding the emergency department, adding 10 operating rooms and renovating hospital units. The facility will be renamed Virtua Mount Holly Hospital when the renovation is complete.
"The scope of this plan is massive; all patient-facing areas will experience some degree of transformation," said John Kirby, senior vice president for Virtua Health, told the Business Journal. "When this renovation is complete, we will basically have a brand new hospital."
Dennis Pullin, CEO of Virtua Health, said the decision to scrap the original plan was in response to changes in the healthcare industry.
"The health systems that thrive are the ones that adapt to the dynamic shifts occurring around us while adhering to their core values and mission," Mr. Pullin told the Business Journal.