Jersey Shore’s Expansion Reaches Major Milestone

Hospital staff, physicians, nurses, town officials, and construction workers celebrated a major milestone at Jersey Shore University Medical Center on November 7, 2007 as the last steel beam was put into place as part of the hospital’s $300 million expansion and renovation project.

The “Transforming Care: the ‘New’ Jersey Shore” project consists of a new patient care pavilion featuring all-private rooms; a state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment building offering the latest technology, surgical suites; a new emergency department and trauma center with the ability to annually treat over 100,000 patients; a new parking garage to ease parking strains; and extensive renovations throughout existing buildings.

The beam on its way up.	Putting the beam into place.
The final beam in place on what will be the new Northwest Pavillion.	Jersey Shore leadership in front of the beam.

A construction industry tradition, the ‘topping off’ ceremony is considered good luck, recognizing the hard work by the iron workers, and celebrates the major milestone of the construction project. The final beam at Jersey Shore was signed with well wishes by hundreds of hospital staff and construction workers, and was hoisted into the sky with an American flag and an evergreen tree symbolizing life in the new building.

“The topping off ceremony is a fantastic moment for Jersey Shore and everyone who has been a part of this landmark project,” says Steven Littleson, FACHE, president of Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “This project is all about ensuring that Jersey Shore continues to provide the very best care to our community both today and for future generations.”

Steve Littleson, President of Jersey Shore University Medical Center in front of the final beam.

The 'New' Jersey Shore as it stands today.

Six weeks ahead of schedule, the project is kept on track by the Philadelphia-based construction firm L.F. Driscoll Co., and has been helped by generally good weather since its groundbreaking in June 2006. With the first phase of the hospital’s new parking garage open, the new Diagnostic and Treatment building expected to be complete in the later part of 2008, the Northwest Pavilion following in 2009, and complete renovations throughout the hospital continuing through 2010.

“The transformation of Jersey Shore is made possible through the commitment of our entire community,” says Littleson. “From the tremendous support of Neptune Township, to the generous contributions we have received from the community to help finance the project, to our immediate neighbors who continue to support and work with us during this process, Jersey Shore is a world-class medical center with very local roots. We are grateful to everyone who has been a part of this effort to make Jersey Shore the premier independent academic medical center in New Jersey.”