Rowan University Approves Inspira Hospital Land Deal
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A hundred acres of farmland in Gloucester County could become South Jersey's next hospital, under a plan approved Tuesday by the property owner, Rowan University.
The school's trustees voted in favor of a plan to sell part of its West Campus to Inspira Health Network.
Inspira wants to build a $350 million, 175-bed facility along Routes 322 and 55 in Harrison Township, not far from Rowan's main campus in Glassboro.
"The benefit for us with having Inspira just a mile away now is the idea that we'll be able to expand beyond the health sciences," said Joe Cardona, Rowan's vice president for university relations. "Hopefully it will serve as an anchor attracting more researchers not only in health sciences but also will be able to tie into our business school and engineering school -- just because the proximity makes it a lot easier to do."
Rowan and Inspira still need to negotiate a price; the school paid a little over $10 million for the proposed site and is getting a 34-acre land donation from the township worth $1 million. Rowan still has more than 500 acres available for development.
If the state approves, the 350,000 square-foot hospital -- along with 1400 jobs -- could be open for business by the end of the decade.
Inspira says it would move hospital services from its location in Woodbury to the new site, though a "satellite emergency room" would be among the services that remain.
One of Rowan's med schools, the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, Camden County, counts Inspira among the eight affiliated hospital systems. But its "primary teaching partner" is Kennedy Health System, whose officials spoke against the Inspira deal that would put a rival within six miles of its Washington Township hospital.
In a statement released after the Tuesday vote, Kennedy president and CEO Joe Devine said they "respect [the trustees'] decision and understand these types of issues are complex." "Our relationship with Rowan is more important than any one decision," Devine said. "We know that Kennedy Health and Rowan University will continue to do what we do best together: educate and train top-quality physicians for our communities."
Rowan officials echoed Devine's sentiments.
"We believe that our relationship with Kennedy will continue well into the future," said Cardona.
Rowan's board on Wednesday is set to consider a feasibility study on creating a medical school campus in Atlantic City.