Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center begins $70 million expansion of surgical services

SUMMIT, N.J. (Union County) — Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center has begun work on a $70 million expansion and modernization of its surgical department, marking the first major upgrade to the area in 45 years.

Hospital leaders recently joined supporters Ed and Christy Reeves for a wall-breaking ceremony marking the start of construction on the John E. Reeves Center for Advanced Surgery.

“This is the time to expand our surgical environment and prepare Atlantic Health Overlook for the next era of exceptional care,” said Stephanie Schwartz, president of Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center and senior vice president of Atlantic Health.

The project comes as surgical volume at Overlook continues to grow. Surgical volume increased 22% from 2021 to 2025, while robotic surgery cases increased 132% from 2022 to 2025. The hospital performed more than 18,000 surgical procedures in 2025 and expects that number to surpass 24,000 annually within 10 years.

The expansion will increase the hospital’s total number of operating rooms from 20 to 26, including an increase in the main operating room suites from 12 to 18. Twelve existing operating rooms in the main surgical area will also be renovated.

Plans also call for six integrated operating rooms equipped for robotics, intraoperative imaging and minimally invasive procedures, along with a new 50-bay preoperative and postoperative care unit that will include 24 private bays.

Infrastructure improvements will include upgrades to HVAC systems, two elevators, electrical wiring, lighting and infection control systems. Sterile processing and surgical support areas will also be expanded and modernized, with space set aside for future expansion of neurosurgical services.

Planning for the project has been underway for several years. In 2023, members of the surgical team worked with engineers and architects to design their optimal surgical space, creating mock walls, fixtures, desks and other elements from cardboard inside the hospital’s Bouras Auditorium.

“This was truly a team effort, and at the heart of it we believe in Atlantic Health Overlook’s future,” Dr. Feteiha said.

Patient input also played a role in developing the plans, according to hospital officials.

“We listened to what the patients told us,” said Jillian Carratala, RN, director of nursing for surgical services at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center. “That patient perspective became our foundation. It guided every conversation, every decision, and every revision along the way.”

Construction is expected to occur in phases over the next three to four years, allowing the hospital to continue its surgical schedule during the work.

The project is being supported largely by donors through the Overlook Foundation, including a contribution from the Reeves Foundation.

“We are proud to support this plan which has kept patients at the center of every decision. The Overlook team has truly designed a surgical center for the future,” said Ed Reeves.