Borough, Township and hospital officials plan to expand and possibly relocate the University Medical Center at Princeton, formerly known as Princeton Medical Center.
"It will be necessary to replace the current acute care hospital to accommodate increased demands in service, new technology and new ways to provide care," said Barry Rabner, president and chief executive officer of the Princeton Health Care System.
While reviewing its health services last year, the PHCS judged the hospital's current facilities on Witherspoon Street to be insufficient for future health care needs. If it is determined that the facilities cannot be adequately upgraded onsite, the hospital may need to move to a new property.
Rabner said PHCS is working with Hillier Architecture — a firm with a branch in Princeton — to determine the space requirements for services today, as well as for the next 50 years. Together, they will construct a strategic plan that outlines the hospital's expansion on its current lot or a possible relocation site.
The Borough and Township formed a Health Care Task Force created to review objectives for UMCP, chaired by former Borough Mayor Marvin Reed. It held its first meeting on April 15.
The hospital board has the final vote on expansion plans.
If it determines the hospital's current seven-acre lot cannot accommodate the necessary changes, it will consider new locations. A new site will need to cover at least 50 acres, Rabner said.
He added that lots of this size may be difficult to secure within Princeton and may require looking into properties outside the municipality. Reed said the task force is considering properties in West Windsor, Plainsboro and on Route 1.
"There are benefits to being where we are and benefits to relocating," Rabner said. "We need to do our homework to understand both of those options."
Reed said the task force's goal is to establish "what is necessary [for the hospital] to remain a first-rate regional facility."
The task force plans to convene again in July or September, depending on when the PHCS completes its analysis. At its next meeting, Rabner and the hospital board will present the strategic plan detailing the hospital's longterm goals and options.
Task force members include Borough Mayor Joseph O'Neill and Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand.
The task force's next meeting will be publicized through advertisements and emails, Rabner said, in order to provide a forum for community feedback.
"We will lay out what we think are the pluses and minuses [of both options] and hear what the public thinks," he said.
According to Rabner, University officials have expressed interest in the hospital's current Witherspoon property if the University Medical Center decides to move.
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