Atlantic Health System Public Relations Department
Louise Gonzalez
973-660-3599
New State-of-the-Art Space Redesigned for Pandemic Readiness
JUNE 14, 2023, POMPTON PLAINS, NJ – Chilton Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System, recently celebrated its newly built emergency department (ED) with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring hospital leaders, physicians, team members, donors and community members.
This renovation marks Chilton as one of the nation’s first hospitals to undertake an ED modernization project in the months after the height of COVID-19. The state-of-the-art space has been redesigned for pandemic readiness and represents the start of a new era in emergency medicine.
“The emergency department is the front door to our hospital, and its significance was never clearer than during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Maureen Schneider, PhD, RN, FACHE, President, Chilton Medical Center. "Every detail of this project has been considered to ensure we provide the best environment for our patients, their families as well as our clinical team members. This modernized space allows us to continue to serve our community now, and well into the future.”
The new ED includes the following:
- Thirty-three private exam rooms with upgraded technology and equipment for best-in-class care and comfort
- Additional workstations for physicians and nurses, increasing the number of patients that can be seen and visibility of patient rooms
- Operational efficiencies to reduce wait times, such as testing performed in the adjacent radiology suite
- A private registration area and streamlined process, allowing most patients to bypass the waiting room and proceed directly to an exam room
- A redesigned layout that improves privacy and considers the needs of special populations, including older patients and those experiencing a behavioral health crisis
- Easy access to the Children’s Center, so pediatric patients can avoid walking through the main ED
- New furnishings and décor to provide a more soothing, healing environment
- Updated and new equipment
- Increased security at the department’s front entrance
The ribbon cutting event also celebrated the donors who contributed to the Campaign for Emergency Care, which raised a total of $2.8 million to support construction of the new emergency
department. A $1.4 million pledge was also made by Emil & Carol Simonetti.
Chilton’s Emergency Department cares for 50,000 patients annually and serves residents from more than 33 communities, providing care for people of all ages. It is also nationally recognized for clinical excellence, receiving the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) prestigious Lantern Award in 2022, which is given to hospitals demonstrating exceptional and innovative performance in nursing leadership, practice, education, advocacy, and research. Chilton was one of 29 emergency departments in the U.S. that received the award for 2022.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 19,000 team members and 5,440 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 12 counties and 6.2 million people. The not-for-profit system offers more than 400 sites of care, including its seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and through its partnership with CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, NJ.
The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,600 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 24 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across five health systems in the region.
Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.