Report Card Gives Clara Maass Top Rating

Survey by national health care organization The Leapfrog Group reveals medical center maintained overall excellence in 2012.

Belleville’s Clara Maass Medical Center continued to excel in overall safety in 2012, a report card issued by a health care quality organization revealed Wednesday. In it’s annual survey, the national nonprofit organization The Leapfrog Group said the hospital maintained its A rating based on 26 benchmarks including preventable medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections for similar type national general acute-care hospitals, according to a report on NorthJersey.com. But the hospital was not alone when garnering the top grade, the report said, as 40 percent of New Jersey's hospitals received A's from the organization. Because of that positive feedback, the state was elevated from 15th to sixth place in national rankings of hospital …

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Belleville Surgeons Complete Pioneer Gallbladder Surgery

Surgeons at Clara Maass Medical Center successfully removed a patient’s gallbladder using one tiny incision in the belly button.

Threat Against Clara Maass Found to Be False Alarm

Hospital administrators say weekend scare was false alarm.

Clara Maass Medical Center was on alert for over an hour on Saturday after a threat was made to the hospital.  Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., President of Clara Maass Medical Center said that police told hospital staff that a threat was made against the facility at 8 p.m. Saturday night.  Both Belleville police and the Essex County Bomb Squad reportedly investigated the threat. Clyne said that under the direction of public safety officials, "appropriate measures were taken." Shortly before 9:30 p.m., the threat was found to be unsubstantiated and the hospital resumed normal operations. "At no time was anyone at the hospital in danger," Clyne said in an email. "We were given the all clear at 9:26 p.m.”

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Clara Maass Raises Flag to Support Organ Donation

A transplant recipient and a member of a donor family shared their personal stories at a flag raising event at the medical center in Belleville.

Clara Maass Medical Center, along with the other Barnabas Health facilities around the state, raised the Donate Life flag to pay tribute to organ and tissue donors and to raise awareness of the life-saving and life-restoring value of organ and tissue donation. “All over the state of New Jersey, Barnabas Health facilities are joining together today in a show of solidarity to raise the NJ Sharing Network flag in honor of National Donate Life Month,” said Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., President and CEO of Clara Maass Medical Center. “But our commitment to support organ and tissue donation and the work of the sharing network isn’t just one month long – our support extends all year long.” “As health care professionals, we realize the importance of …

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Clara Maass Offers Free Health Screenings for Athletes

Children under 18 can get free cardiac and concussion screenings on May 4 at the Clara Maass Medical Center campus.

Athletes under the age of 18 will be able to get free cardiac and concussion screenings sponsored by Clara Maass Medical Center on May 4 on the CMMC campus at 1 Clara Maass Drive in Belleville. Professional medical staff will conduct a cardiac risk assessment and impact screening for young athletes from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. The screenings will be done at the Cancer Center, located in the Continuing Care Building, which is connected to the Medical Center. Cardiac screenings are available for the first 150 athletes, ages 6 to 18, who register and concussion screenings are available for the first 80 athletes, ages 12 and up, who register through this toll-free number: 1-888-724-7123. “This is a wonderful opportunity for young…

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Cardiac Patients Celebrate Life at Annual Heart Hugs Ball

Survivors event brought patients and doctors together in displays of thanks.

Live life to the fullest and take good care of yourself: that was the theme cardiac survivors shared with others at the Heart Hugs Ball, an annual event to celebrate the lives of cardiac patients and to honor the cardiology team at Clara Maass Medical Center. This year’s ball was held at Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield on March 12 and gratitude was very much on display. “I have all the staff at Clara Maass to thank, they’re like family,” Peter Zangari, Sr. of Belleville said. Zangari survived two heart attacks, bypass and open heart surgery, and was treated by the Director of Cardiology, Fadi Chaaban, M.D. He said going to the cardiac rehabilitation suite where he exercises and meets with the CMMC staff helps keep him healthy. “Some …

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Clara Maass Medical Center President is Essex County's Irishwoman of the Year

Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., President and CEO of Clara Maass Medical Center, will be honored by Essex County at a luncheon on March 25.

Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Clara Maass Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, has been chosen as the Essex County “Irishwoman of the Year” and will be honored by county and state elected officials at the 10th Annual Essex County Irish Heritage Celebration on March 25. Clyne, who has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center since 2010, has been chosen for her “contributions to civic, health care, and cultural worlds” according to Essex County and will be recognized, along with Charles B. McKenna, the Essex County “Irishman of the Year” who is Chief Counsel to Governor Chris Christie. “Mary Ellen Clyne is exceptionally deserving of this recognition for her outstanding …

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Nutley School Officials Release Identity of Deceased Maintenance Worker

Timothy Woll of Belleville died Wednesday of a heart attack at John H. Walker Middle School.

Nutley School District officials have identified the board of education maintenance worker who died following a fall last week at John H. Walker Middle School as Timothy Woll of Belleville, according to a NorthJersey.com report . Woll, 55, who worked for the district for 20 years, was well liked by everyone in the district, buildings and grounds manager Phil Nicolette told the website. "He talked to everybody and was liked by everybody," the school district's Buildings and Nicolette said. "He would do what he could for everybody." Nutley police were called to the middle school around 10:20 a.m. Wednesday after a report a of a man having a heart attack, according to Capt. Thomas Strumolo. Nicolette said a witness to the incident reported …

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Clara Maass Wants to Recognize Your Favorite Doctor

Send us a letter about your favorite doctor and we'll display it in the hospital after March 1.

Maybe your doctor takes the time to listen, shows compassion, or explains complicated medical information. Maybe your doctor is someone who helped you or a family member through a difficult time. This year patients and their families are again invited to share their personal stories about what makes their doctor great as part of the “Dear Doctor” program, sponsored by Clara Maass Medical Center (CMMC) Foundation. Letters about Clara Maass doctors will be accepted until March 1, 2013, through e-mail or postal service. Selected letters will be displayed in the upper lobby of the Medical Center and at a special event honoring the CMMC doctors. Letters should include the sender’s name, phone number and address so that person can be contacted. …

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Oliver Speaks During Clara Maass King Celebration

Assembly speaker among guests at recent event

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a transformative figure who challenges us to make the world a better place, Sheila Y. Oliver, speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, told guests recently at Clara Maass Medical Center (CMMC). Oliver, who was born at CMMC when it was known as Lutheran Memorial Hospital, was the keynote speaker for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brotherhood Awards on Jan. 23, an event that recognizes two medical center employees who are chosen by their peers as exemplifying the virtues embodied by Dr. King. “He continues to influence people and societies throughout the world,” Oliver said of Dr. King, describing memorials made to the Civil Rights leader from South Africa, to Selma, Alabama. “It is our duty to be …

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