Virtua Health celebrated a key construction milestone on June 9 at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden. The not-for-profit health system held a topping-off ceremony to mark the placement of the final steel beam atop the hospital’s new patient tower. The Marvin Samson Pavilion is part of a $500 million renovation and expansion at the Haddon Avenue institution, which marked its 75th anniversary last year.
The nearly 200,000-square-foot addition is slated for completion in the spring of 2028. It will increase the hospital’s size by 35%, and will serve as the hospital’s main entrance. The seven-story pavilion will have six floors for patient care.
The building is named for businessman and philanthropist Marvin Samson, who has pledged $5 million – the largest gift in Virtua’s history – in support of the health system’s education and workforce development programs.
Samson, a Virtua board member and longtime supporter, is also the namesake of the Virtua Samson Cancer Center in Moorestown, N.J.
“The Marvin Samson Pavilion demonstrates our commitment to the future of care in Camden and beyond,” said Virtua President and CEO Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE. “We look forward to welcoming every patient with compassion and supporting our staff and clinicians with a space that reflects their exceptional work.”
An Uplifting Moment – Literally!
More than 100 guests attended the topping-off event, which featured remarks from elected officials and Virtua leaders. In a nod to the hospital’s history and Catholic identity, Rev. Jon Peter Thomas, vicar general for the Diocese of Camden, blessed the 20-foot, 700-pound beam before it was raised. A printed copy of his prayer, along with a medallion of St. Francis, will be incorporated into the roof of the new building when complete, echoing a similar act when the hospital first opened. (The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, N.Y., led the hospital during its early years, hence the connection to St. Francis.)
Scores of attendees then signed the steel bar – which is the width of a two-car garage – with colorful permanent markers, before construction workers used a large crane to hoist it into place.
The Hospital’s New ‘Heart’
Attached to the existing hospital at Haddon and Euclid avenues, the new building will support the complex services that Virtua has centralized within Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, drawing patients from across New Jersey and other states. These specialties include advanced cardiovascular care, organ transplantation, and a neurosciences program in partnership with Penn Medicine.
“This beautiful, state-of-the-art pavilion will be the new heart of our hospital,” said Lisa Ferraro, senior vice president of Virtua Health and president of Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. “It will provide a private room for every patient, advanced surgical facilities, dedicated spaces for specialized care, and areas for reflection and remembrance. As the hospital’s new front door, it will include an uplifting and welcoming lobby.”
The addition will include:
- · 78 private patient rooms
- · 10 operating rooms, including 2 dynamic, hybrid operating suites
- · 4 cardiac catheterization labs
- · 3 electrophysiology labs (for treatment of heart rhythm problems)
- · 2 GI (gastrointestinal) endoscopy rooms
- · 40 surgical prep and recovery rooms
- · a neuro-surgical stroke intervention suite
- · a centralized post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) that includes 40 private, adaptable patient bays
Additionally, renovations and updates of the hospital’s existing facilities are underway. In the past year, Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes opened its first Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit. The hospital also renovated its Mother-Baby Unit and several patient rooms within the Acute Care Rehab Unit.
The Samson Pavilion is part of Virtua Health’s organization-wide strategy to enhance the region’s well-being, called Advancing Well into the Future.
For more information, visit Virtua.org or call 1-888-VIRTUA-3.
About Virtua Health:
Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua Health is an academic health system committed to helping the people of South Jersey be well, get well, and stay well by providing the complete spectrum of advanced, accessible, and trusted healthcare services. Virtua’s 15,000 colleagues provide tertiary care, including renowned cardiology and transplant programs, complemented by a community-based care portfolio. In addition to five hospitals, two satellite emergency departments, 42 ambulatory surgery centers, and more than 400 other locations, Virtua brings health services directly into communities through Hospital at Home, physical therapy and rehabilitation, mobile screenings, and its paramedic program.
Virtua has 3,000 affiliated doctors and other clinicians, and its specialties include cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health, orthopedics, advanced surgery, and maternity. Virtua is academically affiliated with Rowan University, leading research, innovation, and immersive education at the Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences of Rowan University. Virtua is also affiliated with Penn Medicine for cancer care and neurosciences, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for pediatrics.
As a not-for-profit health system, Virtua is committed to the well-being of the community and provides innovative outreach programs that address social challenges affecting health, most notably the “Eat Well” food access initiative, which includes the unparalleled Eat Well Mobile Grocery Store. Discover more at virtua.org.