Breaking Ground
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s new Comprehensive Cancer Center will be RWJBarnabas Health’s northern hub for world-class cancer care.
As part of the campus transformation, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, broke ground on a five-story, 137,000 square-foot cancer center on its Livingston Campus. The $225 million, freestanding outpatient facility, scheduled for 2025 completion, will serve as the northern hub for the integrated oncology services offered by RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. This innovative care model is transforming the delivery of cancer services across our state; bringing groundbreaking discoveries, clinical research and expertise from Rutgers Cancer Institute to patients close to home.
“The new Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center will be a regional destination for cancer care, building on the medical center’s longstanding legacy of clinical expertise and compassionate, patient-centered diagnosis and treatment,” said Richard L. Davis, the hospital’s President and CEO. “We are celebrating the dawn of a new era in world-class cancer care.”
In alignment with the theme of Reimagining Cancer Care, the new center will feature medical, surgical, and radiation oncology services under one roof — with holistic support services that include a wig and prosthetic studio, teaching kitchen and yoga, reiki, and music therapy. The facility will include private infusion rooms, short-term and extended-stay treatment spaces and a calming garden terrace.
Playing a pivotal role in the hospital’s continued transformation is the generosity of Leon and Toby Cooperman, who in 2021 made a historic $100 million gift to the medical center. “We applaud the Cooperman Family Foundation for their longstanding support of our hospital and our entire community,” said Bruce Schonbraun, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at CBMC. “Their extraordinary and selfless generosity has enabled this facility to expand its footprint and attract world-class physicians to bring the best healthcare available to northern New Jersey.”
“Breaking ground on a new Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is the latest example of how RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey are reimagining cancer care for the communities we serve,” added Steven K. Libutti, MD, Director of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Senior Vice President, Oncology Services at RWJBarnabas Health. “
A cancer diagnosis is life-changing, and for many patients and their families, it is the beginning of a long and sometimes daunting journey,” said Michael Scoppetuolo, MD, Medical Director of the Cancer Center at CBMC. “To that end, I am excited about the research and the top-quality patient care that will take place at this new center. We have an extraordinary medical staff and access to clinical trials and research which sets us apart from other institutions in the state and puts us at the leading edge.”
Alison Grann, MD, Chair of the hospital’s Department of Radiation Oncology shared, “This new building will provide the physical environment to match the clinical excellence. This best-inclass, freestanding cancer center will provide the highest-quality science, treatment, and psychosocial services available, distinguishing it from other centers in the region.”
Russell Langan, M.D., FACS, Chief of Surgical Oncology & Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, explained, “When you have clinicians together under one roof to meet regularly and collaborate, along with integrated services, you are providing peace of mind, greater convenience, and a better experience for the patient.”
“For well over a century, this medical center has been committed to providing compassionate care, healthcare excellence, and superior service to our patients and their families,” said Mr. Davis. “As we expand our services with facilities like this one, we remain unwaveringly focused on that mission.”
More information about the new center is available online at rwjbh.org/cbmccancercenter.
