Cooper University Health Care Announces $2B Expansion

By Jim Pytell, Managing Editor On Sep 19, 2022

Cooper University Health Care and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper today announced a $2 billion multi-year expansion project in Camden that includes the construction of three new patient care buildings. The investment is the largest in Camden County’s history. 

The project is expected to take a decade to complete and will expand Cooper’s campus to 745 beds (up from 663) and include more than 100 new private rooms. The new, environmentally sustainable facilities will include emerging technologies and innovations to provide advanced care and support, and expand education and teaching space. 

“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 Board Chairman George E. Norcross III. “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.”

Construction of the first building will begin next year and, according to Cooper officials, will be used for clinical care and education. It will be located at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Haddon Avenue and in front of Cooper’s Roberts Pavilion.

“Camden has seen a dramatic transformation in recent years as many state and local partners have worked together to improve the city, and Cooper has played an integral role in those efforts,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “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. I applaud this new expansion and Cooper’s ongoing work to improve the lives of Camden residents.”

Cooper comprises the busiest Level I trauma center (Cooper University Hospital) in the region, a leading cancer center (MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper), the only Level II pediatric trauma center in the Delaware Valley (Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper), three urgent care centers, and more than 100 outpatient offices across South Jersey. With more than 8,900 employees, including 1,600 nurses and more than 850 physicians practicing and 450 advanced practice providers practicing in more than 75 specialties, Cooper is the largest private employer in both Camden city and county.

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