At long last, New Jersey’s first cancer hospital opens
RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute teamed to build the freestanding hospital. It’s part of a $1.5 billion investment in cancer services across the Garden State.
After years of planning, New Jersey’s first freestanding cancer hospital has opened its doors.
RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute teamed to build New Jersey's first freestanding cancer hospital: the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center.
RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute teamed to build the 12-story hospital in New Brunswick. The new hospital, the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, is connected to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Rutgers Cancer Institute. Officials tout it as one of only 13 freestanding cancer hospitals in the country.
The institutions say the new hospital is part of a $1.5 billion effort to expand cancer care in New Jersey. They first announced plans for the hospital in 2019.
The hospital includes 96 inpatient beds and surgical space, along with 80 exam rooms for outpatient care of adult and pediatric patients. The hospital’s pediatric space was designed to be more welcoming for children with a “Jersey Shore” theme.
Mark E. Manigan, president and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health, said the opening of the hospital “is true to our mission of building and sustaining a healthier New Jersey.
“It is further evidence of RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to taking care of the communities we serve and providing patients the most advanced care possible, close to home,” he said in a statement. “I am proud to say that RWJBarnabas Health, together with Rutgers Cancer Institute, is advancing a bold vision – to beat cancer together.”
Steven K. Libutti, MD, director of Rutgers Cancer Institute and senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health, said the new hospital will allow more people to get cancer care without having to leave the state.
“While New Jersey has long been a nationwide leader in the delivery of outstanding, world-class cancer care, patients in the region have previously needed to visit nearby New York or Philadelphia to access comprehensive inpatient cancer treatment,” Libutti said in a statement.
The new cancer hospital includes surgical space and 88 infusion bays, along with radiation oncology.
To support cancer studies, the hospital has laboratories to support 10 research teams. Officials say the hospital will be able to house clinical trials. Officials also have said that they want the hospital to be able to connect researchers with physicians.
The hospital is named in honor of Jack Morris, the chairman of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and his wife, Sheryl, in honor of their philanthropy.
Jonathan Holloway, president of Rutgers University, said that the hospital reflects a commitment to providing cancer patients with better care.
“I am excited for the future of cancer care and bench-to-bedside advances that will emerge from this vital center, leading to new treatments, redefined understanding, and ultimately, lives saved,” Holloway said in a statement.
RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers are continuing to work on two other new outpatient cancer facilities, and they are moving closer to opening.
The Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston is slated to open in the fall.
Next year, the Specialty and Cancer Care Center at the Vogel Medical Campus in Tinton Falls is slated to open.
