Ocean University Medical Center Ushers in a New Level of Heart and Vascular Care for Ocean County

The advanced center brings together the expertise of cardiac and vascular procedures in one convenient location.

Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center announced today the opening of the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center. The $19.5 million investment encompasses 17,750 square feet, twice the size of the existing catheterization lab. Located above the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Emergency Care Center, the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center will provide heart and vascular procedures on one convenient floor to address the growing number of cases performed at the medical center.

“Hackensack Meridian Health is taking the lead in advancing innovation and transforming health care,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. ‘‘Ocean University Medical Center is on the cutting-edge of heart and vascular health, creating real change in patients’ lives by putting the patient at the center of everything to provide exceptional care.” 

The Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center features three multi-purpose catheterization / vascular labs in an advanced environment that allows for quick diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular conditions. The collaboration of cardiac and vascular expertise fosters expert treatment planning and options for optimal patient outcomes.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New Jersey and in the United States, so I am thrilled that the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center will address the growing number of cardiovascular cases in our community,” said Frank Citara, MBA, president and chief hospital executive. “Thanks to our cardiac catheterization team and partnership with Jersey Coast Vascular Institute, the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center will provide advanced expertise for diagnosis of cardiac and vascular conditions and offer immediate minimally invasive or complex surgical procedures if necessary.”   

“This state-of-the-art facility has been in the works for more than five years and has benefitted from the involvement of philanthropists, patients, physicians, health care planners, technology experts, architects, designers, and many members of the health care team, such as nurses, technicians, and patient transporters,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, southern market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “ I offer my deep thanks to our Director of Cardiac Catheterization Ali Moosvi, M.D. and Frank Sharp, M.D. Jersey Coast Vascular Institute vascular surgeon, for their clinical and technical expertise and vision of the health care of tomorrow as we planned this new facility.”

Toward the goal to provide the most comprehensive cardiovascular services, the New Jersey Department Health (NJDOH) recently licensed Ocean University Medical Center to provide elective angioplasty and stenting, a procedure used by cardiologists to open clogged coronary arteries. “This scheduled procedure increases patients’ access to a lifesaving procedure that can prevent heart attack,” said Dr. Moosvi who is an interventional cardiologist and also Cardiology Section Chief at Ocean University Medical Center.   When this minimally invasive treatment is performed without a delay, it  restores blood supply to the heart muscle and helps prevent heart attack, heart failure and other forms of heart disease. This new facility will be able to provide higher efficiency and safety for certain high-risk procedures, including elective angioplasty and stenting. “I am pleased to say that elective cases have been performed over the past several months, with patients receiving excellent care and getting home quickly to recuperate.”

The Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center will provide higher efficiency and safety for certain high-risk procedures and will improve patient outcomes. “Having the ability to have both diagnostic and surgical functions in one space, clinicians can diagnose cardiac and vascular conditions and offer immediate surgical treatment without delay,” said Dr. Sharp. “As we continue to perform complex minimally invasive procedures such as Trans-cervical Carotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) and Fenestrated Endovascular Repair (FEVAR), a safe, technologically advanced environment will achieve the best patient outcomes.”

The project's nearly $20 million cost was made possible, in part, by generous donors, including the center's namesake: Mary Ellen Harris, president of the Golden Dome Foundation, which she founded with her late husband, Dr. Robert H. Harris, to support charitable causes. “My husband dedicated his life to advancing research to improve the quality of life for people facing diseases and disorders,” says Mary Ellen Harris. “Making this gift and expanding his legacy through the naming of this new center is simply the carrying on of his life’s work. The community needs access to the best care possible and I am honored and humbled to be able to play a part in ensuring that it can be provided to those in need. I hope that this new center helps a lot of people.”

The Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center at Ocean University Medical Center will perform its first patient procedure in Spring 2023. For information about cardiovascular services, visit For more information about the new Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/OUMC.  For a physician referral, call 844-HMH-WELL.    

To learn more about how you can support the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart & Vascular Center at Ocean University Medical Center, please contact Matt Lang, executive director, Ocean University Medical Center Foundation at Matthew.Lang@hmhn.org or visit GiveHMH.org/Ocean.