Kelly Ripa To Hold Party For Cooper Health Staff As Hospital's $3B Expansion Breaks Ground

CAMDEN, NJ — When the COVID-19 pandemic raged, Kelly Ripa vowed to return to her native Camden County and host a party for Cooper medical staff. The television personality will fulfill that promise Tuesday, when Cooper University Health Care breaks ground on its $3 billion expansion project in Camden.

Ripa first made the promise in March 2020, when she thanked Cooper's staff for their work at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. When Cooper unveiled plans for a multibillion-dollar expansion, she renewed her pledge to give staff a disco-themed party.

Nearly five years after Ripa's initial promise, the party will happen after Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony for Cooper's "Imagine" project. The development will significantly expand Cooper University Hospital in Camden, adding three new patient and clinical towers to the campus.

Before hosting a national talk show, Ripa grew up in Berlin and graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees. She attended Camden County College to study psychology before dropping out to pursue an acting career in New York. Ripa's father, Joe, served as a Camden County commissioner (then called a freeholder) and then as county clerk.

Ripa currently co-hosts Live with Kelly and Mark, which also features Mark Consuelos.

Tuesday's party comes at a pivotal moment for Cooper, as the health care giant launches what's been called the largest development investment in Camden County's history. It comes on the heels of Cooper acquiring Cape Regional Health System and expanding its South Jersey footprint.

Meanwhile, three members of Cooper's Board of Trustees — including political powerbroker George E. Norcross III, the board chair — were indicted last June on corruption charges, including racketeering. Norcross and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty on all counts.

As the legal process plays out, Norcross has remained a face of Cooper Health. During Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony, he'll stand with Ripa and a bipartisan group of current and former politicians, including:

• Gov. Phil Murphy.
• Former New Jersey Govs. Chris Christie, Jon Corzine, James McGreevey and Tom Kean.
• Rep. Donald Norcross, who represents New Jersey's 1st congressional district and is also George's brother.
• Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen.
  

The indictment accuses George Norcross and five others of conspiring to illegally obtain properties along the Camden waterfront and millions of dollars in associated tax credits.

Cooper Health obtained more than $27 million in tax credits from 2016-22, the indictment says.

Two other Cooper board members — George's brother, Philip Norcross, and Sidney Brown — were also indicted in the case.

In July, a Cooper spokesperson said that all three will remain on Cooper's board for the time being.

"The presumption of innocence is a fundamental American principle of justice," Wendy A. Marano told Patch. "Accordingly, all members of the Cooper Board of Trustees will continue to serve in their current capacity."