$2 Billion Expansion Plans At Cooper University Health Care In Camden Unveiled

CAMDEN, NJ — A $2 billion expansion of Cooper Health's Camden campus will add three buildings to the landscape and take a decade to complete, reports and the health system said.

Cooper celebrated the massive investment, and noted how far the hospital has come since 1999, when it faced bankruptcy.

The expansion of facilities at Cooper University Health Care, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and MD Anderson Cancer Center will take about 10 years to complete, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Construction reportedly will begin next year on a building used for clinical care and education at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Haddon Avenue, the Inquirer report said. Cooper's plans also include three new clinical towers with more than 100 private rooms, adding to the number of people the facility can treat.

Cooper is also focusing on innovative and emerging technologies, more teaching space for the growing academic medical center, and state-of-the-art facilities, a news release said. The project will adhere as well to best practices for environmental sustainability.

"The new investment – the largest in Camden County’s history – will dramatically expand the academic health system’s Camden campus to meet the current and future projected demand at Cooper University Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper," a news release said.

Board Chairman George E. Norcross II, Governor Phil Murphy, former Governor Chris Christie, Camden County native Kelly Ripa, and co-CEOs Kevin M. O'Dowd, JD, and Anthony J. Mazzarelli, MD, JD joined the Board of Trustees of Cooper University Health Care for the announcement Monday.

Norcross, Murphy, and Ripa championed the city of Camden and highlighted how Cooper's investments have helped revitalize the city.

“Not only does this announcement represent the culmination of Cooper’s amazing turnaround since it faced bankruptcy at the turn of the century, but it is also a sign of our commitment to and faith in Camden, its residents, and our shared future," said Norcross. “Cooper's commitment to its home community is a model of how corporate leadership can spark imagination and new opportunities that benefit local residents. Camden's transformation from being America's poorest and most dangerous city to one on the rise is a national model of what cities can achieve with commitment, faith, and hard work.”

Ripa was unable to attend in person and sent her message via video. She helped launch the Ripa Center for Women's Health and Wellness at Cooper in Voorhees 15 years ago, and went to the opening of Cooper University Hospital’s Roberts Pavilion in 2008, Cooper said.

“Cooper has dreamed big and achieved their dreams of transforming into a leading academic health system in the South Jersey region,” Ripa said. “Having grown up in the area, it’s especially meaningful to be invited to participate in the announcing of Cooper's latest major investment, this time in Camden, demonstrating their commitment and the power of imagining a bigger and better future for local residents.”

Murphy said Cooper has played an "integral role" in Camden's transformation along with safe and local partners.

“By supporting public safety, educational opportunities, and job creation in addition to providing quality medical care, Cooper has taken a holistic and meaningful approach to strengthening the health of the community it serves," he said. "I applaud this new expansion and Cooper’s ongoing work to improve the lives of Camden residents.”