Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center recently unveiled its updated emergency department at the hospital’s Union Campus, the first overhaul in 18 years, capping the completion of extensive renovations to the facility.
In a ceremony joined by local, county and state officials, Atlantic Health leaders marked the completion of the work with a ribbon-cutting and celebrated Overlook Medical Center Emergency Services – Union Campus’s commitment to providing care to the community.
Overlook worked with Buckl Architects, MPE Consulting & Design LLC and Holt Construction to bring the project to reality.
“The Emergency Department at our Union Campus stands as a shining example of successful community-based health care,” said Stephanie Schwartz, senior vice president, Atlantic Health System and president, Overlook Medical Center. “For almost two decades our commitment to keeping emergency care within Union Township has led to better health for the surrounding communities.”
Once part of the former Union Hospital, the Union Emergency Department was in danger of being permanently closed in 2007, when the former owners planned to shutter the facility. Atlantic Health stepped in that year to take over operations as a satellite emergency department.
Currently, the Union Emergency Department receives about 36,000 visits each year. In addition to Union and surrounding communities, the Union ED serves underserved and vulnerable populations in Elizabeth, Newark and Irvington.
While improvements and other updates have taken place over the years, the recent work represents the first major upgrade for the emergency department since Atlantic Health’s takeover.
The project, which broke ground in June 2024, involved making $6.4 million in alterations to more than 10,000 square feet of the Emergency Department. These changes include adding three additional treatment spaces, taking the emergency department from 20 beds to 23, as well as improved support space to better serve our growing volumes from the surrounding community.
Other changes include:
- Privacy partitions added between bays to allow for enhanced privacy
- The main nurses’ station was redesigned to include a larger central medication room along with greater visibility of the open holding bays
- A redesigned lobby with an assessment and triage area
- Expansion of the on-site lab with added space and equipment
- Upgraded Phillips patient monitoring system
- Redesigned space to create alcoves for the nourishment area and equipment storage
- Negative exhaust capability added to the private rooms to help manage airborne illness
