Ocean University Medical Center $20M heart lab can save lives every day with new tech

Michael L. Diamond, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

BRICK - Ocean University Medical Center has unveiled a $20 million center for heart and vascular procedures in a move designed to keep up with an aging population in a fast-growing county.

The Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center, at 17,750 square feet, is twice the size of the hospital's previous catheterization laboratory and will bring together two related specialties into one unit.

"The cardiovascular system is one system," said Dr. Ali Moosvi, the hospital's director of cardiac catheterization. "Ideally, (treatment) should be together. That's why we did it. It was better for patient treatment."

Ocean University Medical Center, owned by Edison-based Hackensack Meridian Health, has been growing fast. In recent years, it has added a $82 million emergency department, three dozen private-patient rooms and a teaching program.

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Dr. Ali Moosvi (left), chief of cardiology at Ocean University Medical Center, speaks with vascular surgeon Dr. Frank Sharp and Alana Speaker, heart and vascular services manager, in one of the new operating suites that is part of the new $20 million cardiac and vascular center at the hospital in Brick Friday afternoon, March 24, 2023.
Dr. Ali Moosvi (left), chief of cardiology at Ocean University Medical Center, speaks with vascular surgeon Dr. Frank Sharp and Alana Speaker, heart and vascular services manager, in one of the new operating suites that is part of the new $20 million cardiac and vascular center at the hospital in Brick Friday afternoon, March 24, 2023.

The expansion might turn out to be fortuitous. As the giant baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, Ocean County's population has increased quickly during the pandemic, surpassing neighboring Monmouth County, as people moved from northern New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia in search of more space and more affordable housing.

"Think about the population growth even since COVID," Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian, said during a ribbon-cutting event Friday for the heart and vascular center. "We're seeing it in the emergency department. We're seeing it all over the hospital. And certainly a center like this is more important than ever."

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One of the new operating suites that is part of the $20 million cardiac and vascular center at Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Friday afternoon, March 24, 2023.
One of the new operating suites that is part of the $20 million cardiac and vascular center at Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Friday afternoon, March 24, 2023.

The center is above the emergency department, built in space that had been empty. Its construction was six years in the making, with delays chalked up to the pandemic.

Helping its cause was $10 million in private donations, including a gift from Mary Ellen Harris, president of the Golden Dome Foundation based in Middletown.

The case for a new heart and vascular center got stronger last year when New Jersey lawmakers agreed to allow the hospital to perform elective angioplasty and stenting — a procedure that opens clogged coronary arteries and previously could only be performed here in case of an emergency.

The center is geared to treat heart disease, the leading cause of death nationwide. It includes three multi-purpose labs for catheterization and vascular procedures that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including robotic devices and video screens.

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One of the new operating suites that is part of the $20 million cardiac and vascular center at Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Friday afternoon, March 24, 2023.
One of the new operating suites that is part of the $20 million cardiac and vascular center at Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Friday afternoon, March 24, 2023.

Dr. Frank Sharp, a vascular surgeon, said he and his team of six doctors would be able to perform complex, high-tech and minimally invasive procedures.

"Today marks a new era of vascular care in our community," Sharp said. "These rooms contain the latest imaging technology allowing vascular surgeons and cardiologists to efficiently and carefully intervene on diseased blood vessels in the body."

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Ocean University Medical Center in Brick NJ opens heart, vascular lab