Cooper Plans Up to $500 Million Medical Center in Atlantic County, George Norcross Reveals

Health system chairman says Cooper is considering 40- to 50-acre properties for a major outpatient facility, with more details expected in the coming months.

ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. — Cooper University Health Care is planning a massive new medical facility in Atlantic County, representing a potential investment of up to $500 million and a significant expansion of the health system's presence in South Jersey.

George E. Norcross III, chairman of Cooper's Board of Trustees, revealed the plans Thursday, November 5, during an interview on The Don Williams Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.

Norcross said Cooper is actively evaluating large properties in Atlantic County for what he described as a super-regional ambulatory care center that would provide a broad range of outpatient medical services.

“We are definitely going to build a $400 to $500 million super regional ambulatory care center,” Norcross told Williams. “We're looking at a couple of large parcels conveniently located in Atlantic County.”

The announcement represents one of the most significant potential health care investments in Atlantic County in recent years.

Norcross said Cooper is considering properties encompassing approximately 40 to 50 acres, although he did not identify the municipalities or specific locations under consideration.

“We're going to acquire property, 40, 50 acres,” he said. “And we're going to announce and start building.”

He indicated that additional information could become available relatively soon.

“This should be something we'll further announce and publicize in the next couple of months,” Norcross said.

No construction timetable, opening date, final site selection or projected number of jobs has been announced.

A Major New Outpatient Medical Campus

The proposed Atlantic County facility would be part of Cooper's strategy to create large regional outpatient centers throughout South Jersey, bringing specialized medical care closer to patients who might otherwise need to travel to Camden or other locations.

Norcross described a model in which patients could receive a wide range of diagnostic, specialty and treatment services in one location, with expanded access during evenings and weekends.

“What our strategy is, and what we're attempting to do, is in each of the prominent counties in South Jersey, build a half a billion dollar facility that will allow the citizens to utilize all of our services on an outpatient basis,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of making medical care more convenient.

“And to make them far more convenient, offer services at nights and weekends.”

An ambulatory care center provides medical services without requiring patients to be admitted overnight to a hospital.

Depending on the final design, such facilities can accommodate physician offices, diagnostic testing, imaging, outpatient procedures, specialty consultations and other services.

Norcross did not provide a complete list of the medical specialties planned for the Atlantic County campus.

However, he identified cancer care, orthopedics, cardiology and surgical services among Cooper's major areas of expertise.

The proposed center could make it easier for Atlantic County residents to access Cooper's specialists while maintaining connections to its larger hospital campuses and advanced treatment programs.

Cooper Already Expanding Across South Jersey

The Atlantic County announcement comes as Cooper undertakes an ambitious expansion throughout the region.

In June, Cooper announced plans for a $300 million outpatient medical campus in Gloucester Township.

That project, planned for approximately 39 acres near Route 42 and the Gloucester Premium Outlets, is expected to include a five-story, approximately 184,000-square-foot building.

The Gloucester Township campus is designed to offer advanced specialty services, including cancer care, cardiology, neurology and diagnostic procedures.

Cooper has said that development is expected to create more than 400 health care jobs, with patient services anticipated to begin in 2029.

The health system is also undertaking a multibillion-dollar expansion of its main hospital campus in Camden.

Cooper has previously invested in major outpatient facilities in Moorestown, Cherry Hill and Voorhees, reflecting a broader shift toward delivering specialized care in community-based settings.

The Atlantic County proposal would extend that strategy farther into the shore region.

Unlike the Gloucester Township project, however, the Atlantic County facility has not yet reached the stage of a formal public announcement identifying a site, building size or construction schedule.

Cape Regional Merger Strengthens Shore Presence

Norcross said Cooper's recent focus has included expanding and modernizing its operations in Cape May County following its merger with Cape Regional Health System.

The merger became effective July 1, 2024, bringing Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House into the Cooper network.

The hospital now operates as Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional.

Norcross said Cooper is working to expand the range of services available to patients in Cape May County while providing access to more advanced treatment programs elsewhere in the health system.

“We've been concentrating in Cape May on the Cape Regional that merged with Cooper,” he said.

“And we are in the process of completely changing that facility to represent everything that Cooper does and provides.”

The strategy, he explained, is to deliver more services locally while connecting patients who need highly specialized care with Cooper's centers of excellence.

Those include MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper and advanced surgical, orthopedic and cardiovascular programs.

Cooper has already expanded specialty care in Cape May County, including oncology, cardiology and orthopedics.

Its growing shore presence also includes urgent care facilities.

Earlier this year, former Cape Regional Urgent Care locations in Cape May Court House, Hammonton, Marmora and Wildwood were rebranded as Cooper Urgent Care.

The Hammonton location provides an existing Cooper presence in Atlantic County.

Norcross acknowledged that Cooper already operates outpatient facilities in the county, but said it does not yet have the type of large regional campus he is proposing.

“We don't have a super regional center yet,” he said.

Greater Access to Specialized Care

A central theme of Norcross's comments was the need to reduce the distances South Jersey residents travel for medical treatment.

He said Cooper intends to concentrate its expansion within the seven southern counties of New Jersey rather than pursue growth in Pennsylvania or North Jersey.

“We intend to maintain our enterprises in the seven southern counties only,” Norcross said.

“We're not expanding into Pennsylvania or in the central or northern New Jersey.”

He described Cooper as an academic tertiary care medical center, meaning it provides highly specialized services for patients with complex medical conditions.

Norcross said expanding outpatient facilities would allow more patients to access those specialists without traveling to Camden for every appointment.

“There are services that are needed right here in South Jersey that people now don't have to go to Pennsylvania or northern New Jersey to receive,” he said.

He also acknowledged the region's other major health care providers, including AtlantiCare, Virtua, Inspira and Jefferson Health.

“We have some really great health care organizations in South Jersey,” he said.

“We're blessed now that people don't have to go over the bridge anymore.”

Norcross said the various systems have different specialties and areas of expertise, giving patients more opportunities to obtain care closer to home.

Expanding Access Beyond Traditional Office Hours

Norcross also discussed Cooper's efforts to improve access to medical advice outside normal business hours.

During the interview, he said the health system had announced expanded telemedicine availability for patients.

“We just announced earlier this week that we were providing a 24-hour a day, 365 telemedicine care to all of our patients,” Norcross said.

He described the initiative as another way to make medical services more convenient.

Telemedicine allows patients to consult with medical professionals remotely, potentially reducing the need for an in-person visit for certain medical concerns.

Norcross connected that initiative to the broader goal of improving access through regional outpatient centers.

The proposed Atlantic County facility, he said, would similarly emphasize patient convenience through expanded hours and a wide range of services.

Potential Economic Impact

A $400 million to $500 million medical campus would represent a major capital investment in Atlantic County.

Depending on its eventual size and services, the project could generate construction activity and create opportunities for physicians, nurses, technicians, administrative employees and other health care professionals.

However, Cooper has not yet released employment projections for the proposed Atlantic County development.

The eventual economic impact will depend on the selected location, building plans, financing and construction schedule.

Norcross's comments also come at a time when Atlantic County's health care industry is evolving.

AtlantiCare remains a major provider and employer in the county, operating AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center campuses in Atlantic City and Galloway Township along with numerous outpatient facilities.

Cooper's proposed expansion would add another significant medical campus to the regional health care landscape.

Norcross framed the investment as part of a larger effort to strengthen South Jersey's medical infrastructure and provide residents with more convenient access to care.

More Details Expected in Coming Months

Although Norcross expressed confidence that the Atlantic County project will move forward, several important questions remain unanswered.

Cooper has not publicly identified the properties under consideration, the municipality where the center might be built or whether any land acquisition agreements have been reached.

The specific medical services, number of employees, construction timeline and opening date also remain undetermined.

Norcross indicated that the next announcement could come within the next several months.

For Atlantic County residents, the proposal offers the possibility of a substantial new health care facility bringing additional specialty services closer to home.

For Cooper, it would represent another major step in an expansion strategy that already includes new facilities, hospital improvements and significant investments throughout South Jersey.

And for Norcross, the objective is clear: make more of Cooper's medical expertise available to patients in the communities where they live.

“We're going to expand,” he told Williams.

George E. Norcross III discussed Cooper's Atlantic County expansion plans during an interview on The Don Williams Show, airing Monday through Friday from 6–10 a.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.