The Hackensack Meridian Health facility will break ground Friday, March 8 at the New Jersey Transit Metropark Station in Iselin. The first of its kind, the center is expected to be completed by 2025.
Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to join hospital, transportation and other elected officials as well as developers at an 11 a.m. ceremony, according to a hospital press statement.
It's billed as the first accessible health and wellness center at a major transit hub nationwide. It will bring "comprehensive ambulatory care to riders and nearby residents in a convenient way," the hospital network said.
The project is expected to create at least 1,000 jobs for the region, the network said. About 60,000 people travel through the Metropark Station each month as a hub for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak.
“Once again, New Jersey is pioneering a new model for supporting our families and communities as we break ground on the first ever comprehensive health care facility located at a major transit hub,” Gov. Murphy said in a prepared statement.
The facility is part of a larger development of Metropark Station by DOR, a consortium led by Russo Development that was awarded a $110 million tax credit grant.
Services in the 60,000-square-foot center will include primary care, medical specialties, surgical specialties, a sports and spine center of excellence, advanced imaging, phlebotomy, rehabilitation services, a retail pharmacy, occupational health services and urgent care.
“Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to expanding access to quality healthcare, meeting patients where they are,” said Robert C. Garrett, chief executive officer of the state's largest hospital network
Soon, 60,000 passengers will have access to quality care steps from their commute, Garrett said, adding, "The expanded, easy access is one of the major ways Hackensack Meridian Health is revolutionizing healthcare."
This new Hackensack Meridian Health facility marks a major milestone for the larger redevelopment of Metropark Station, Murphy said.
"I am pleased to join Hackensack Meridian Health (and) applaud their continued work to provide vital health care to the people of New Jersey," the governor said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lakewood and receive free news updates.