The Melchiorre Cancer Center Livingston has opened on the campus of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, giving North Jersey a dedicated outpatient home for advanced cancer treatment. Operated jointly by RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, the building rises five floors and spans 137,000 square feet, representing a $225 million investment. RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute unveiled the facility on June 22, 2026, positioning it as the northern destination for oncology services across one of the largest academic health systems in the state. The center pulls medical, surgical and radiation oncology together under a single roof, alongside the research muscle of Rutgers Cancer Institute, the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in New Jersey carrying a National Cancer Institute designation. Clinically the building is dense. It holds 52 exam rooms, 40 private infusion rooms, seven short stay treatment spaces and six extended stay spaces, plus a radiology suite equipped with PET CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound and fluoroscopy. One of its standout features is an MRI guided linear accelerator, among the few in the state, which lets clinicians visualise tumours and adjust radiation plans in real time. The project carries the name of Andrea and Anthony Melchiorre, whose philanthropy anchored the build, and it forms part of a wider statewide push to keep patients from crossing into New York or Pennsylvania for top tier care. For a region with this much population density, the opening marks a significant addition to the cancer care map.

What the $225 Million Livingston Cancer Center Means for New Jersey

The cost of the Melchiorre Cancer Center, set at $225 million, places it among the larger single oncology builds in recent New Jersey memory, yet it is only one piece of a $1.5 billion oncology expansion that RWJBarnabas Health is rolling out across the state. That program already delivered the Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center in New Brunswick, the first freestanding cancer hospital in New Jersey and one of only 13 such hospitals nationally, which opened roughly a year before the Livingston facility. A third leg, the Vogel Medical Campus in Monmouth County, rounds out a network designed to cover the state from north to south. The strategy mirrors a broader regional appetite for purpose built health infrastructure. In Woodbridge, Hackensack Meridian Health is advancing a $200 million health and wellness center at the Metropark transit hub, a first of its kind facility tied to a station redevelopment under the New Jersey ASPIRE program. Across the Hudson, Memorial Sloan Kettering recently broke ground on a $2.3 billion inpatient tower in Manhattan, a reminder that the competition for cancer patients in the tri state market is intensifying. Industry coverage frames the Livingston opening as a deliberate move to retain North Jersey patients who once travelled out of state. The patient centred design, with natural light, a teaching kitchen, art therapy space and a rooftop terrace, reflects how modern cancer centers now compete on experience as much as on technology.

Melchiorre Cancer Center Timeline and What Comes Next

The Melchiorre Cancer Center was originally scheduled to open in late 2025, with hospital leadership initially pointing to a December 2025 target, before the unveiling landed in June 2026. With the doors now open, attention shifts to ramping clinical volume and integrating the site fully into the RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute referral network. Patients gain access to clinical trials and advanced therapies channelled through Rutgers Cancer Institute, which the health system has described as central to reducing the need for out of state travel. The facility is expected to function as the northern anchor of a three site model, working in concert with the New Brunswick and Monmouth County campuses. Leadership has framed the broader $1.5 billion investment as a long term effort to establish New Jersey as a destination for comprehensive cancer care, a goal that depends on sustained patient demand and continued philanthropic and operational support. It was noted the center’s emphasis on survivorship and wellness programming, signalling that future growth will lean on support services as well as acute treatment. The open question now is how quickly the network’s three pillars translate into measurable gains in regional cancer outcomes.

Project Fact Sheet

• Project Name: Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
• Location: Livingston, New Jersey, United States
• Project Value: $225 million, per RWJBarnabas Health
• Client/Owner: RWJBarnabas Health in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute
• Main Contractor: Not publicly disclosed
• Key Components: Five floors, 137,000 square feet, 52 exam rooms, 40 private infusion rooms, MRI guided linear accelerator, radiology suite with PET CT and MRI, clinical and retail pharmacies, wellness center
• Procurement Model: Privately funded by the health system with major philanthropic support
• Expected Completion: Opened June 22, 2026
• Lead Philanthropic Gift: $30 million from Andrea and Anthony Melchiorre, part of nearly $50 million in total family giving
• Network Role: Northern hub of RWJBarnabas Health’s $1.5 billion statewide oncology expansion
• Strategic Impact: Keeps North Jersey cancer patients in state for National Cancer Institute designated care

Project Team

• Client/Owner: RWJBarnabas Health
• Clinical and Research Partner: Rutgers Cancer Institute
• Operating Hospital Campus: Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston
• President and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health: Mark E. Manigan
• Director, Rutgers Cancer Institute and SVP Oncology Services: Dr. Steven K. Libutti
• President and CEO, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center: Richard L. Davis
• Chief Development Officer, RWJBarnabas Health: Glenn Miller
• Lead Donors: Andrea and Anthony Melchiorre
• Main Contractor: Not publicly disclosed

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Melchiorre Cancer Center located? The Melchiorre Cancer Center is located in Livingston, New Jersey, on the campus of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.

How much did the Melchiorre Cancer Center cost? The Melchiorre Cancer Center cost $225 million and forms part of a wider $1.5 billion oncology investment by RWJBarnabas Health.

When did the Melchiorre Cancer Center open? The Melchiorre Cancer Center opened on June 22, 2026, after originally being scheduled for a late 2025 debut.

Who operates the Melchiorre Cancer Center in Livingston? The Melchiorre Cancer Center is operated by RWJBarnabas Health in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute, the only National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in New Jersey.

What services does the Melchiorre Cancer Center offer? The Melchiorre Cancer Center offers medical, surgical and radiation oncology, advanced imaging, infusion therapy, an MRI guided linear accelerator, and wellness and survivorship programs.