JACKSON — The operators of the Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township are making plans to construct a health center in Jackson. Information about those plans was presented to the public and to Jackson’s elected officials during a recent meeting of the Township Council.
Representatives of Ocean Medical Center, which is operated by Meridian Health, said they have seen an increase in the number of Jackson residents availing themselves of the services at the Brick Township facility.
Sal Inciardi, senior vice president of business development at Meridian Health, said, “Jackson is a great place to live and raise a family, which is why it has experienced such rapid growth recently. However, available health care services in the area have not kept pace with this growth.”
Inciardi said the Meridian Health Village planned for the intersection of Cooks Bridge and Bennetts Mills roads is envisioned to house physicians’ offices as well as specialty and wellness services.
Ocean Medical Center President Peter Daniels said, “We are looking in the near future to have a groundbreaking ceremony for this new 150,000-square-foot facility. The new building will contain medical offices, a surgery center, a radiology center, and a fitness center as part of its three key service areas, which include internal medicine, women’s and children’s health, and medical as well as surgical specialists.”
Daniels said the facility will include an imaging center, an urgent care center, and areas that will deal with rehabilitation and patient education. A phlebotomy laboratory will be part of the facility.
“We spoke with a lot of Jackson residents in the development of this concept and the design of the building,” Inciardi told those present at the council meeting. “Our goal is to create a healthy lifestyle destination location for residents and a place to go not just when they are sick, but when they are well and focused on disease and illness prevention.”
It was noted that the new medical center will be proximate to several adult communities.
“The recent economic downturn, combined with uncertainty of national health care reform proposals have resulted in the medical community carefully considering the timing of new ventures,” said Inciardi. “However, both local residents and the physicians we have spoken to are very excited about the opportunities the Meridian Health Village creates.”
Daniels reviewed some facts about Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township, which is among the local medical facilities used by Jackson residents.
“As we looked back at the statistics over the last year, we found there has been a 15 percent growth in our in-patient and out-patient services from members of the Jackson area,” he said.
The hospital has grown from 120 beds to 320 beds, and from 200 physicians to 500 physicians. There are 15,000 admissions per year.
“We are very busy in the emergency room, too,” said Daniels. “Where there were about 17,000 visits to the emergency room in 1984, there are over 60,000 visits from people in Brick Township and the surrounding communities, including Jackson.”
“One of our newest units is the Acute Care Elderly Patient Unit that sees an enormous number of elderly patients who come to our hospital,” he said. “We also have oncology services, cardiac services and a pediatric emergency room.”
Ocean Medical Center recently opened an endovascular laboratory, which is one of only a few in New Jersey, he said.
Township Council President Mike Kafton said he is pleased about the planned Meridian Health Village and its ability to provide Jackson residents with many stateof the-art services.
“This facility will be a strong, positive commercial ratable for Jackson,” he said.