Hackensack Meridian Health Opens Nation's First Health & Wellness Center In A Major Travel Hub, Bringing Quick & Easy Access To Quality Care To NJTransit & Amtrak Riders At Metropark & Surrounding Area As Part Of Network's $3 Billion Investment In Expanding Access To Care

Today, Hackensack Meridian Health is making it easier for patients to go to the doctor, with the opening of the first-in-the nation comprehensive health and wellness center at a major transit hub. Hackensack Meridian's Health & Wellness Center at Metropark, a $200 million project built alongside New Jersey Transit's second busiest train station, with extended hours, offers patients the flexibility to pop in for a quick appointment before commuting to work, or after commuting home in the evening. The Health & Wellness Center also offers easy access to quality medical care for patients who rely on mass transit, in a highly suburban vehicular transit-reliant state.

"Hackensack Meridian Health continues to innovate new ways to deliver high-quality care and expand access to care for our patients," said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO Hackensack Meridian Health. "We are the first in the country to bring comprehensive health services to a major mass transit hub, revolutionizing where and how healthcare is delivered to reach more people. Patients who regularly attend preventive doctor's visits have considerably better health outcomes. By making it easier for people to visit the doctor, we are improving the health of our communities. We expect it will be a model emulated across the country."

With comprehensive health services at the transit hub and extended hours, Hackensack Meridian is making medical care much easier for the 60,000 commuters who go through Metropark Station each month. Services will include advanced imaging, urgent care plus, primary care, surgical specialties, medical specialties, retail pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, phlebotomy and more.

"The new Health & Wellness Center at Metropark is exactly the kind of smart, forward-looking investment our state needs," said Governor Mikie Sherrill. "By locating this center steps from a major transit hub and incorporating new housing, we are advancing transit-oriented development that makes it easier for residents to live, work, and access care without relying on a car, strengthening the connection between healthy communities and sustainable infrastructure."

The Health & Wellness Center at Metropark expands on Hackensack Meridian Health's broader effort to better serve patients by bringing together key network physicians and ambulatory services under one roof in easily accessible neighborhoods.  In the last several years, Hackensack Meridian Health has opened outpatient care center locations across the state, including in Eatontown, Clark, Clifton and Paramus.

"Metropark Health & Wellness Center's convenience offers patients who depend on mass transit easy access to a variety of preventative medical appointments and specialized services all under one roof," said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, Hackensack Meridian Health. "Upon arriving at the Metropark station, patients are able to 'walk-in'  for blood work, imaging, urgent care and other appointments, and then board the next train or bus to their destination. The seamless model of care enables patients to schedule an appointment early in the morning before heading to work, or later in the day on their way home. Metropark's Health & Wellness Center is a shining example of HMH's blueprint for health, which creates a dense network of access that leaves preventable disease nowhere left to hide."

Hackensack Meridian's Health & Wellness Center at Metropark is the first part in a broader plan by the state of New Jersey to redevelop Metropark Station and transform the area into a walkable destination for transportation, retail, living, working and receiving healthcare. When complete, the project will have housing, office space, retail space and the health and wellness center all within steps of the transit hub for both New Jersey Transit and Amtrak.

The development at Metropark is the first example of New Jersey Transit's broader plan announced in October 2025 to generate additional non-fare revenue by utilizing its real estate portfolio for development.

"Hackensack Meridian's new building at Metropark Station represents one of the first products delivered under NJ TRANSIT's recently released LAND Plan: Leveraging our Assets for Non-farebox Dollars," said Kris Kolluri, NJ TRANSIT's President & CEO.  "It is symbolic that we are just a week removed from welcoming 300+ real estate executives and developers to an open house offering sites for development.  Anchored by our Metropark Train Station, this project serves as a model for what's possible under public private partnerships that benefit everyone from the local through the state level." 

The Metropark complex is being developed by DOR, a partnership of the Dinallo family, Onyx Equities and Russo Development to reimagine this Woodbridge community with housing and retail.

"The history of Onyx Equities is to find the special opportunity that many properties provide — sometimes it's not so apparent," said John Saraceno, co-founder of Onyx Equities with co-founder  Jonathan Schultz.  "Metropark is now not only home to the first healthcare facility at a train station, it also features Vermella Metropark, which will be managed by our partner Russo Development, with whom we also own Vermella Woodbridge." 

Hackensack Meridian Health is also moving its network headquarters into the upper floors of the Iselin building, allowing the network  to bring all its corporate employees previously spread across several buildings under one roof for greater convenience and collaboration.

"This will be the first time since the merger that formed Hackensack Meridian Health ten years ago, all our network non-clinical employees will be in the same building steps away from each other," said Jose Lozano, Hackensack Meridian Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer. "The building is designed with collaboration in mind, with ample meeting and social spaces for brainstorming and cooperation. We are excited to give our team members the space to do their best work in a beautiful environment offering easy access to quality transit, dining, retail and of course, our healthcare services."

Moving Hackensack Meridian Health headquarters directly to the Amtrak train station is also expected to allow HMH to further recruit top talent from across the entire Northeast Corridor, with employees easily able to commute from major cities, including New York and Philadelphia, along with its central location within New Jersey.

"Woodbridge is proud to be the new home of Hackensack Meridian Health," said Mayor John McCormac.  "Our administration worked productively with NJ Transit, the DOR team and the construction team, led by Terminal Construction, to assure that the redevelopment of Metropark resulted in a unique asset that serves Woodbridge and also derives unique benefits from being here.  We look forward to enjoying, with HMH, its success and service to our residents." 

"Congratulations to Hackensack Meridian Health and to everyone whose dedication, collaboration, and vision brought this project to life," said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios. "The opening of this new Health & Wellness Center represents a forward-thinking approach to healthcare delivery– integrating preventative and urgent care directly into a transit hub to make access more convenient than ever. This innovative partnership reflects Middlesex County's continued commitment to expanding access to high-quality care and advancing the health and well-being of our residents."

With wellness and sustainability top priorities at Hackensack Meridian Health, the Metropark building was constructed in a way that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also qualifies for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification.

Achieving this certification goes beyond air and water filters and energy efficiency.  Hackensack Meridian Health focused on the environment our patients and team members would be seeking care and working in.  Floor-to-ceiling windows and an open floor plan allow everyone to enjoy natural light. Small design details were focused on to improve mental health, happiness and calmness, including fractal patterns in light fixtures, carpets and other finishings throughout the space.  Fractal patterns are geometric shapes that display self-similarity. Found extensively in nature, these patterns induce happiness and reduce stress by up to 60% by triggering "fractal fluency," a state where the brain effortlessly processes visual information. The Metropark building also includes an outdoor space for people to reflect and take a break to relax with a lot of greenery and plants around them.

The Hackensack Meridian Health & Wellness Centers across New Jersey are part of the network's robust $3 billion investment in expanding access to quality care for patients across the state with new ambulatory care sites, Urgent Care Plus locations and extensive hospital expansion projects. A focus on continually raising the bar and innovating new ways to expand access and improve quality is how Hackensack University Medical Center became New Jersey's only hospital ranked in the nation's top 20 by U.S. News & World Report. The Health & Wellness Centers, along with the nearly $1 billion Helena Theurer at Hackensack University Medical Center and the more than $1 billion expansion of Jersey Shore University Medical Center, along with many other projects, are a direct investment in better outcomes, safer care, and the cures of tomorrow.

Photos of the Metropark Health & Wellness Center are available here, courtesy Hackensack Meridian Health.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health brings together leading‑edge care, research, and medical education to deliver the best outcomes, and care shaped around the unique needs of every patient we serve. By connecting prevention, specialty care, and life-saving discoveries, we improve every aspect of healthcare – from routine visits to the most advanced treatments, close to home and across the globe.

Home to New Jersey's first and only top 20 hospital in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report 2025-26, we ensure people can count on exceptional care today and benefit from the cures of tomorrow. Our not-for-profit network of 18 hospitals, 500+ care locations, and over 40,000 team members extend the horizon of health for all. And because medicine is never finished, we Keep Getting Better for every patient, family, and community who counts on us. Learn more at HackensackMeridianHealth.org and to donate visit GiveHMH.org.

SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health