Hackensack Meridian Health’s new Health & Wellness Center at Metropark marks a significant milestone for the state’s largest healthcare system, bringing comprehensive, integrated outpatient care directly to one of the region’s busiest transit hubs

By Amanda McCoy

Every day, thousands of commuters pass through Metropark Station in Woodbridge, boarding trains bound for New York City, Philadelphia, and points along the Northeast Corridor. Just steps from these bustling platforms sits something unexpected: a full-service medical and wellness center designed to fit seamlessly into the rhythm of daily life.

Hackensack Meridian Health’s new Health & Wellness Center at Metropark is a groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind healthcare destination that brings together a vast range of integrated primary and specialty services in a modern, 60,000-square-foot facility at one of the state’s busiest transportation hubs. It’s a milestone moment for the leaders of Hackensack Meridian Health, whose vision to expand ambulatory care services and better serve the evolving needs of New Jersey patients has fueled several strategic investments over the past decade. After five years of planning and construction, a $200 million investment, and close collaboration with state and city leaders, the Metropark center will begin seeing patients in May. It’s a primary component of the larger Metropark Station by DOR redevelopment, a sweeping initiative that’s transforming the existing station area into a modern mixed-use community.

“The Health & Wellness Center at Metropark is a significant part of how Hackensack Meridian Health is making it easier to access convenient, quality care by bringing the doctor’s office into the heart of the community and just steps away from a patient’s daily commute,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health.

The center’s services span primary, preventive, and urgent care, plus several specialty providers in cardiology, bariatric surgery and endocrinology, colorectal and advanced GI surgery, gynecology, orthopedics, spine, pain management and rehabilitation, pulmonology, and more. Integration is at the core of the Metropark center’s philosophy, an approach that aims to simplify what is often an overwhelming experience for patients navigating the complexities of the healthcare system.

“Integration is the differentiator,” explained Mark Sparta, chief operating officer at Hackensack Meridian Health. “Every provider in the building knows each other. If a patient needs to see a cardiologist, their physician can send them directly to the suite down the hall, as opposed to giving them a phone number to call for an appointment. This level of seamless integration is extremely helpful for patients, as navigating any health system can be complex. With this center, we saw an opportunity to relieve this burden for our patients.”

There’s also a retail pharmacy on site, along with an Urgent Care PLUS facility. Designed to treat more complex medical issues than a traditional urgent care, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Urgent Care PLUS locations are staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians and nurses with emergency or critical-care experience, and feature advanced diagnostic imaging capabilities like CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds, EKGs, and advanced on-site lab testing.

“The Urgent Care PLUS concept is specific to HMH,” noted Sparta. “There’s a far higher level of diagnostic capabilities available, along with extended hours. The PLUS will typically stay open for a 12-hour period each day, as we know patients might come by in the early morning before commuting to work, or they might not feel well at work and want to see a doctor when they get off the train.”

Integration not only improves the patient experience, it also enables physicians to deliver more comprehensive care. “Healthcare is a team sport,” noted Sparta. “If all providers are on the same page and rowing in the same direction, that facilitates a higher level of care than if the patient was navigating this complex system alone. Care is more timely as all providers are working together.”

In addition to the breadth of services, design also played an important role in shaping the healing environment. Built to LEED Gold standards, the structure incorporates sustainability features alongside thoughtful design elements that foster tranquility and well-being.

“We were thoughtful in our approach,” explained Jose Lozano, senior vice president of Strategic Business Partnerships for Hackensack Meridian Health. “The center is in a concrete building, so we brought a level of art into it to make it more warm and welcoming. Our goal was to put the park back into Metropark, and we partnered with an artist out of Brooklyn to create a beautiful treescape installation that feels very calming and inviting. There’s also a lighting component on the third floor that mimics and replicates healthy breathing, so it feels like the building itself is breathing.”

Patients and their loved ones also have access to an elevated outdoor courtyard on the third level, filled with leafy vegetation and park benches. “We learned through the pandemic that fresh air is invaluable, and to that end, we created an outdoor space that’s adjacent to the clinical area, where patients and their family members can sit outside and enjoy fresh air.”

Guided by a forward-thinking philosophy, the Metropark center was designed around the needs of busy commuters and working professionals. For Hackensack Meridian Health, placing a care center at the second busiest rail station in New Jersey reflects both current needs and future trends.

“Future generations are becoming less dependent on vehicles,” noted Lozano. “We are thinking ahead for our future patients. This center puts us right in the middle of a major transit hub between New York and Philadelphia, with thousands of people each day catching a train to go to work. Being so close to a busy mass transit system will help people prioritize their healthcare. We are bringing care to where patients need it.”

Sparta echoed that sentiment. “Overall, we are moving away from hospital-centered care to the ambulatory space,” he said. “By strategically making these types of investments, HMH is fulfilling its mission to better serve the community.”

Health & Wellness Center at Metropark
1 Wellbrook Place, Iselin
hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/locations/hackensack-meridian-health-and-wellness-center-at-metropark