One of the most ambitious cancer care buildouts in the country took another big step Monday morning when the Melchiorre Cancer Center officially opened on the campus of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.
The five-story, 137,000-square-foot outpatient facility is the latest piece of a $1.5 billion investment by RWJBarnabas Health to bring National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer care to every corner of New Jersey — one that is reachable without leaving the state.
“One of the most important things that we, as a health system, can do is to meet our patients where they are at the time they need us most,” RWJBarnabas Health CEO Mark Manigan said.
“For those across North Jersey who are taking on one of the toughest fights of their life — the fight against cancer — the trip for the best available, National Cancer Institute-designated care no longer requires a drive across a bridge, or through a tunnel. It will be right here, around the corner.”
The Melchiorre opens just one day before the one-year anniversary of the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center in New Brunswick — the state’s first and only freestanding cancer hospital, and one of only 13 in the nation. A third facility, on the Vogel Medical Campus in Tinton Falls, is expected to open next year.
Together, the three form a statewide network designed around a simple premise: cancer care shouldn’t require a road trip.
But each will stand tremendously on their own.
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The menu of options at the Melchiorre is incredibly impressive.
The facility brings together surgical oncology, radiation oncology and medical oncology under one roof, along with 52 exam rooms, 40 private infusion rooms, a radiology suite, clinical and retail pharmacy, and dedicated spaces for psychosocial support — including a patient wellness center, a teaching kitchen focused on nutrition, a wig and prosthetic fitting studio, and a rooftop terrace.
The building also houses an MRI linear accelerator, among the most advanced radiation oncology tools available.
Patients will have access to clinical trials and the full resources of Rutgers Cancer Institute — New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and one of just 57 in the U.S.
Dr. Steve Libutti, the William N. Hait Director of Rutgers Cancer Institute and Senior Vice President of Oncology Services for RWJBarnabas Health, said the Melchiorre represents something rare in American oncology — a community-based facility that delivers the kind of care patients typically associate with a major urban academic medical center.
“There are few examples nationwide of an integrated structure like what we’re building here,” he said. “Each facility allows that level of care that you expect to only get in an NCI designated comprehensive cancer center, right in the community, with our folks practicing there, with access to clinical trials — and if you need to be admitted for cancer-focused care, we can seamlessly navigate you to the Morris Cancer Center for that kind of care.”
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The event drew an all-star list of medical professionals and elected officials.
N.J. Health Commissioner, Dr. Raynard E. Washington, said the opening reflects a broader need to make cancer care more accessible — and less complicated — for patients across the state.
“Healthcare is too hard for too many people to navigate,” he said. “Having one place where folks can come and not just get their care, but get support, and get connected to all the other resources they need to be able to live a long, healthy life is absolutely incredible.”
Washington noted that close to 60,000 new cancer diagnoses are recorded in New Jersey each year. He credited the partnership between the state, RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute with driving meaningful progress — including a roughly 15% reduction in overall cancer mortality over the last decade through joint programs like the statewide screening initiative Screen NJ.
Lung cancer screening rates are now higher in New Jersey, and lung cancer mortality is 18% lower than the national average.
Rick Davis, CEO of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, said the facility was built with that mission in mind.
“Patients and families dealing with cancer deserve access to comprehensive care in a setting designed specifically to support healing, comfort, and hope,” he said.
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The center is named for Anthony and Andrea Melchiorre, whose philanthropic commitment made the project possible.
“Healthcare is such an important part of people’s lives, and we are incredibly proud to be part of a project that will make such a meaningful difference,” the Melchiorres said in a statement. “This center will have a lasting impact on patients, families, and everyone whose life has been touched by cancer.”
Manigan noted the generous contributions of Leon and Toby Cooperman, long the biggest benefactors of the campus.
The beneficiaries, Manigan said, are the people of New Jersey.
The $1.5 billion investment isn’t only about bricks and mortar — it’s backed by ongoing commitments to research, clinical trials and physician recruitment. Manigan said the vision is as much about access as it is about excellence.
“A lot of us here in New Jersey have the ability to go across the river if they choose,” he said. “But many don’t.
“Whether it’s the work schedule, whether it’s insurance, our cancer program is accessible to everybody, irrespective of the ability to pay.”
That access to care just took another big step.
