OLD BRIDGE – Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation recently received a $250,000 gift from TeamHealth toward the planned facility renovation and expansion of the emergency department at Raritan Bay Medical Center-Old Bridge.
Raritan Bay-Old Bridge’s emergency department has served Central New Jersey for 40 years.
“When the emergency department was built it was sized appropriately to accommodate the patient volume,” Thomas Shanahan, CPA, chief operating officer, Raritan Bay Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. “But now the population in Old Bridge Township and the surrounding communities has grown exponentially, beyond the intended capacity of the department. This project will more than double the size of our emergency department and provide patients and guests with a more comfortable, easier, and faster experience.”
The construction project represents a significant investment in Middlesex County for Hackensack Meridian Health, with construction costs approaching $40 million.
“It will create room for nearly twice as many emergency beds, increase treatment space and privacy, allow for imaging services to be located within the department, and add pediatric-friendly rooms,” William DiStanislao, MPA, vice president, Operations and Raritan Bay-Old Bridge site executive, said in the statement. “A new hospital concourse, main entrance and lobby will be constructed to modernize the facility and link all buildings.”
The medical center will also be more accessible with increased available parking, better wayfinding, and additional ambulance bays for easier and quicker access for first responders, according to the statement.
“TeamHealth’s generous donation is greatly appreciated,” Linda Hill, PharmD, executive director, Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation, said in the statement. “Continued philanthropic support allows us to fulfill our mission to provide exceptional health care for the communities we serve.”
TeamHealth provides physician staffing and management in Raritan Bay’s emergency departments in Old Bridge and Perth Amboy.
“TeamHealth is excited to support this important project,” David Istvan, M.D., president, TeamHealth Emergency Medicine Northeast Group, said in the statement. “When completed, this expansion and modernization will allow TeamHealth and Raritan Bay Medical Center to continue achieving our shared goal of providing high-quality emergency care to patients and families in the community.”
The fundraising effort for Raritan Bay-Old Bridge’s emergency department is part of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation’s regional comprehensive campaign, Giving Heals. The campaign focuses on strengthening oncology services, improving clinical outcomes, enhancing patient experience, and broadening clinical research and academic programs at eight hospitals in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties.
The project is set to begin construction this spring.
For more information on how to support Raritan Bay Medical Center, contact Linda Hill at 732-324-5374 or email linda.hill@hackensackmeridian.org.
