When the Union Emergency Department was in danger of being permanently closed in 2007, Atlantic Health stepped in.
Recognizing the importance the emergency department played in providing convenient, quality care to Union and the surrounding communities, Atlantic Health stepped in that year to take over operations as a satellite emergency department.
At the time, it was a rare model of care in New Jersey that was quickly embraced by members of the community. Today, the Union Emergency Department receives approximately 36,000 visits each year. In addition to Union and surrounding communities, the Union ED serves some of the most underserved and vulnerable populations in New Jersey, including Elizabeth, Newark and Irvington.
And now, it will do so in a facility that’s better than ever.
Last week, Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center unveiled its updated emergency department at the hospital’s Union Campus, capping the completion of extensive renovations to the facility that is greatly relied upon by the community.
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 the organization’s longtime commitment to providing exemplary care to the community.
“The Emergency Department at our Union Campus stands as a shining example of successful community-based health care,” Overlook Medical Center President Stephanie Schwartz said.
“For almost two decades our commitment to keeping emergency care within Union Township has led to better health for the surrounding communities. We are proud to be the place that people know they can turn to when they need care.”
Top-level care.
The ED, which includes on-site laboratory and imaging, as well as telestroke capabilities, is staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians, registered nurses, and a dedicated pharmacist and respiratory therapist. The Union ED has been nationally recognized for care – in 2023, it became the only ED internationally to receive the Emergency Nurses Association’s Lantern Award for five consecutive cycles since the award’s inception in 2011.
“The care at the Union emergency department consistently receives high marks from our patients, and that is a remarkable reflection of the commitment Atlantic Health has made to quality,” Dr. Rajiv Prasad, chair of emergency medicine at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center, said.
Chief Nursing Officer Heather Veltre agreed.
“Our teams consistently strive to elevate the experience we provide to patients and families and are proud to continue this tradition of excellence within the community,” she said.
Atlantic Health has invested heavily in developing parts of the former hospital into Overlook’s Union Campus – a multi-specialty outpatient center, offering services including primary care, physical therapy, wound care, oncology and surgery.
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 and patient confidentiality
- 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 that serves the Union ED, with added space and equipment, making it more efficient to serve increased volumes
- Fully 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
- Updated, modern finishes throughout
Overlook worked with Buckl Architects, MPE Consulting & Design LLC and Holt Construction to bring the project to reality.
