First Baby Born at New University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro

Imane Tazi with baby, proud papa Israel Cadjee and big sister, Jade Cadjee. Photo courtesy of Princeton HealthCare.

The first baby born at the new University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro was born this afternoon. Imane Tazi of Princeton gave birth to a baby girl at 1:12 p.m. Dr. Jeffrey Gross and Princeton ObGyn delivered the baby.

Tazi and her baby girl joined more than a hundred other patients treated at the new medical center — a combination of patients transferred from the old hospital and new patients who were admitted to the Plainsboro facility on opening day today.

Over a period of seven hours, medical teams transferred 110 patients from the University Medical Center at Princeton in downtown Princeton to the new hospital via ambulance.

“Our organization and the community we serve has been focused on this day for nine years,” said Barry Rabner, president and CEO of Princeton HealthCare System. “We could not be more proud, more excited and more optimistic about our opportunity to provide outstanding health care in the future. I commend our staff, the emergency medical technicians and paramedics, police officers and the entire community for their help with the move.”

Rabner along with Mark Jones, president of the hospital, greeted patients as they were wheeled through the doors to the new hospital and up to their patient rooms.

“We have been planning and practicing for this move for more than a year,” Jones said. “Our goal was to keep our patients and their families safe and comfortable throughout the transition. We are pleased that the move went very smoothly.”

The new $522.7 million hospital, which broke ground in October 2008, officially opened at 7 a.m.

Within nine hours after it opened, the hospital had treated 65 patients in the emergency department, six patients were admitted, two babies were born and a surgeon completed an unplanned surgery in one of the new operating rooms.

Designed by some of the world’s leading architects, designers, health planners and engineers, with significant input from physicians, nurses, other caregivers and patients, the new hospital  is among the most technologically advanced, patient-centered and environmentally friendly hospitals in the country.

“The new hospital is designed and built for the 21st century,” Rabner said. “Our patients and their families will receive outstanding clinical care in a modern environment focused on healing.”