Transforming Care

Transforming Care: The New Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s $300 million dollar expansion project means a lot more than just additional buildings.It’s about a hospital’s mission to transform patient care.

 Download our Transforming Care
Fact Sheet

The Transforming Care project, begun in 2006 and now complete, seeks to combine the most advanced medicine with exceptional care and thoughtful design to create a patient experience that’s second-to-none.“Our transformation is a chance for us to reorganize everything about our hospital around the patient,” said Jersey Shore president Steven G. Littleson.

"Think of a place that is bright, soothing, and ideal for healing – chances are that place is not a hospital.Traditionally, hospitals have earned unflattering reputations for being drab and dismal, noisy, confusing and uncomfortable.“Jersey Shore is on a mission to change that perception,” Littleson said.“We have an opportunity to build and renovate our century-old campus with a pure focus on the patient – and the benefits promise to be rewarding.”

A special effort has been made to ensure that visitors have the best access possible to the expanded Jersey Shore campus.The new addition has changed the orientation of the hospital – the main entrance no longer faces Route 33, but is now at the new atrium lobby on the west side of the hospital.

A new access loop road connects the different areas of the hospital and is clearly marked with new signs, so that visitors can easily find their way to the section of the hospital they need.Visitors also have access to a new 1,000 car parking garage and valet parking lots.

Jersey Shore’s $300 million addition is the largest hospital expansion in New Jersey at this time.The main components of the expansion are the 213,000 square foot, four-story Northwest Pavilion and the three-story, 109,000 square foot Mildred Rosa Diagnostic and Treatment Pavilion.Both are connected by the new Kurr Atrium lobby, designed by architect Tushar Gupta to resemble an unfurling sail.

The Northwest Pavilion adds:

• A state-of-the-art emergency department which can accommodate 100,000 annual visits
• A new 24/7 trauma center with its own elevator and rooftop heliport
• Three new nursing units, each with 36 private rooms in 12-bed neighborhoods
• An additional 36-bed “shell” floor for future capacity needs

The Diagnostic and Treatment Pavilion adds:

• Six new surgery suites
• A new kitchen and dining area
• Space for an additional 12 intensive care unit beds to meet future needs

Jersey Shore is now laid out in three distinct zones – a patient zone, a diagnostic and treatment zone, and the zone encompassing the ER/trauma and outpatient services.A north-south concourse runs like a spine connecting all three zones.

The expansion adds 136 new beds for a 563 total bed capacity, and leaves room for future expansion, according to Littleson.Both the 36-bed floor and additional 12-bed ICU are “shells” ready-to-go units that need only furnishings and equipment to be operational.Along with that elbow room, the hospital can add floors to either building if the demand for beds continues to increase.

“As baby boomers age, there will be more demand for hospital beds.We’re ahead of the curve.We’re set for the future,” Littleson said.“Patient numbers at Jersey Shore have never dropped: trauma increases by 100 patients per year, ER by 4 percent, and regular hospital beds by 5 to 6 percent every year.That’s double the state average.We have been overcrowded for so long – but not any longer with this expansion.” 

 Download our Transforming Care Newspaper Insert