Page 19 - Vol.5 No. 7 July 2021

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RWJBarnabas Health and Saint Peter’s Healthcare System will integrate, which will result in a combined 1,200 hospital beds in the city with the completion of the new cancer pavilion.
That makes it all the more likely that health care and education will continue to drive economic development in New Brunswick.
According to RWJBarnabas, the
new pavilion will house inpatient, outpatient and ancillary services, as well as state-of-the-art laboratories where research faculty can provide hands-on educational opportunities for students and enable physician- scientists to translate scientific findings directly to patients. The facility will also enable ease of access for imaging and other diagnostic tests, treatment and follow-up exams all in one space.
“Cancer touches the lives of everyone — and we believe that people
Leaders of RWJBarnabas Health, the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the New Brunswick Development Corp. welcomed a large crowd to break ground on the $750 million Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center in New Brunswick. Gov. Phil Murphy was among those on hand.
Jack Morris
should not
have to travel to New York or Pennsylvania to get great cancer care,” said Jack Morris, CEO
of Edgewood Properties and chair of the
technology and medicine New Jersey has to offer.” It will also complement the existing Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
As RWJBarnabas Health’s Barry
H. Ostrowsky noted, the institute “already serves as a destination
for advanced cancer treatments including clinical trials, stem cell transplantation, proton therapy and CAR T-cell therapy.”
“This trailblazing facility will help us further our mission in the delivery of outstanding comprehensive oncology care for our state and improving the health and well-being of our residents,” said Ostrowsky, CEO and president of RWJBarnabas Health. “Jack Morris has been the greatest champion of this project since its inception. The magnitude of this generosity propels Jack and Sheryl into the ranks of visionary philanthropists who have helped to change the course of health care in New Jersey.”
The June 24 groundbreaking drew praise from a host of other stakeholders and public officials.
Gov. Phil Murphy:
“RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers are widely recognized as leaders in health care and life-sciences, and the addition of the cancer center represents a significant step forward in New Jersey’s fight against cancer. Through the development of this new cancer pavilion, these world- class entities will continue to be at
the forefront of research, innovation and cancer care, serving as a leader for our state and nation. This center will provide patients with the most sophisticated cancer treatment available with access to the latest technology and medicine New Jersey has to offer. I am grateful to RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers for their commitment and proud
to support this effort that will
further provide access to the latest treatments for cancer patients across New Jersey and beyond.”
Steven K. Libutti, Rutgers Cancer Institute director and senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health:
“The Jack and Sheryl Morris
Cancer Center will amplify our ability to more quickly translate groundbreaking discoveries from the laboratory directly to the patient in addition to providing numerous amenities critical to the cancer journey all in one footprint. Keeping the patient at the center of all we do is paramount to bringing exceptional cancer care to our patients. I
am humbled by the passion and commitment of the Morris family and the many other donors who I know will join them. Their support will further propel us into the future of cancer discovery and care, and for that we are truly grateful.”
Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway:
“This new cancer center demonstrates a strong commitment to academic medicine in our state.
With an emphasis on research, education, prevention and patient care, this facility will give New Jersey cancer patients enhanced access to the latest treatments — fueled in part by scientific investigation conducted at Rutgers and by numerous other partners.”
Brian L. Strom, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences chancellor and Rutgers University executive vice president for health affairs:
“With the RWJBarnabas health system we are looking forward to a healthier future in which our citizens can receive all the care that they need without ever leaving the state of New Jersey. Now, in our tireless quest to improve the life and health of our citizens, New Jersey opens another front in the war against disease, focused on cancer.”
Ronald G. Rios, director of the Middlesex County board of commissioners:
“Not only does this new cancer center directly align with Middlesex County’s history of fostering and investing in innovation and collaboration, but
we recognized from the onset the immense benefits and opportunities this facility will bring to our community — creating a pathway for residents to receive advanced cancer treatment, new job opportunities and career paths in multiple disciplines. This growth strategy is consistent with the county’s efforts around Destination 2040, a master economic roadmap to enhance the lives and businesses in our community.” RE
RWJBarnabas board of trustees. “It has been our vision, our hope and our dream to have the top cancer center in the nation right here in New Brunswick.
“Sheryl and I are so proud that we can play a role in helping to make this dream a reality.”
The new hospital will occupy the former site of the Lincoln Annex School, sparking some backlash among parents and other community members, but construction is now underway on a new school that will serve as a replacement for the facility. RWJBarnabas is paying $55 million
to build the Blanquita B. Valenti Community School, located about a mile away, as part of its cost for the cancer center project.
The June 24 groundbreaking drew dignitaries including Gov. Phil Murphy, who underwent surgery last year to remove a tumor from his kidney, who said the center “will provide patients with the most sophisticated cancer treatment available with access to the latest
Courtesy: OIT/Governor’s Office