Task Force Public Meeting Eyes Hospital Location Issues

Matthew Hersh

The possibility of a move by the University Medical Center at Princeton has prompted the formation of a joint-municipal task force that will look at the strategic planning and future of the hospital.

Borough Mayor O'Neill, Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand, and Barry Rabner, president and CEO of Princeton HealthCare System, have announced that the task force is being established to explore the potential impact that the hospital's plans could have on the region.

The first public meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 14 at 9 a.m. at the Township Municipal Complex. The meeting will consist of setting up a schedule, looking at issues involved, and electing a chairman, Mayor O'Neill said.

Subsequent meetings will be more substantive, he said. "We hope to have a review of the medical center's strategic plan."

He said the task force will also be able to acquire a medical expert, perhaps an administrator familiar with hospital relocations, to advise the members.

Task force members will include both mayors, Township Deputy Mayor Bill Enslin, Borough Council President Mildred Trotman, representatives from the Princeton Regional Health Commission and the Princeton Regional Planning Board, and chairs of the Borough and Township Zoning Boards of Adjustment. It will also include officials involved with various area institutions, Mayor O'Neill said.

No definitive plans have been set for the hospital's future, but Princeton University has expressed interest in the current hospital site on Witherspoon Street and Princeton HealthCare System has been exploring alternate campus locations in West Windsor and Hopewell Township.