[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1479-E1480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING DEBORAH HEART AND LUNG CENTER ON ITS 77TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 1999

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Deborah Heart 
and Lung Center on its 77th anniversary of providing care to the 
residents of New Jersey. This hospital has been a leader in its field 
for generations, saving the lives of thousands of individuals through 
the dedication of its staff and volunteers. Its physicians have 
pioneered breakthrough developments in the treatment of

[[Page E1480]]

heart and lung disease and its administrators have seen that no one--no 
matter how poor--is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Deborah is 
a unique facility and we count ourselves lucky to have it in our state.
  Heart disease in the No. 1 killer in America today. But in the early 
part of this century, that dubious distinction belonged to 
tuberculosis. By the 1920's, with one of every seven Americans being 
killed by the debilitating and highly contagious disease, prevention 
and cure of TB had become a national obsession.
  Horrified by the sickness and suffering she witnessed in New York 
City, wealthy philanthropist Dora Moness Shapiro decided to open a 
sanitarium where indigent TB patients could receive treatment. In 1922, 
Mrs. Shapiro purchased an existing 32-bed sanitarium in Browns Mills, 
NJ, and arranged for its previous owner, Dr. Marcus Newcomb, to stay on 
as consulting physician. Mrs. Shapiro also organized the Deborah Jewish 
Consumptive Relief Society to raise funds for operation of the 
facility, taking the name Deborah from the Hebrew prophet who rallied 
the Israelites in their struggle against the Canaanites. Mrs. Shapiro 
became the society's first president.
  By 1930, the sanitarium was well established and construction began 
on a brick, five-story building to replace the three original wooden 
cottages. Dr. Henry Barenblatt was hired as the first resident 
physician. The 1940's were a time of growth, with the addition of a 
surgical operating room and additional buildings. Deborah worked 
closely with Dr. Charles Bailey, a Philadelphia surgeon who pioneered 
treatment for TB, and with the increasing chemical therapies for the 
disease. By the early 1950's, the medical community's success in 
combating the disease had made Deborah and other TB sanitariums 
obsolete.
  Rather than closing its doors, Deborah restructured itself as a 
hospital for heart and lung diseases beyond TB. Deborah provided 
support for research conducted by Dr. Bailey and arranged to provide 
post-operative care for heart patients who underwent surgery at 
Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia. Dr. Bailey conducted the first on-
site heart surgery at Deborah in 1958 and a series of milestones 
followed in quick succession, including the opening of a cardiac 
catheterization laboratory, Deborah's first cardiac catheterization 
surgery and the hospital's first surgery to implant a pacemaker.
  Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, Deborah grew rapidly into a world-
class heart and lung center, attracting recognized experts to practice 
and teach and encouraging research among its own medical staff. New 
facilities were opened, including a dedicated pediatric unit, and the 
scope of services was expanded to include emphysema and occupational 
lung diseases.
  Today, Deborah is a world-renowned center for cardiac and pulmonary 
care. Its physicians have traveled around the world to perform surgery 
on children and teach their skills to colleagues. A number of new 
treatments have been pioneered at Deborah and in 1994 it was rated No. 
1 in the nation for the lowest number of deaths among Medicare 
patients. The 161-bed teaching hospital provides state-of-the-art 
diagnosis and treatment to adults and children with heart, lung and 
vascular diseases, including treatment of heart defects in newborns, 
infants and children. More than 5,000 patients are treated each year.
  True to Mrs. Shapiro's motto, ``There should be no price tag on 
life,'' Deborah continues to accept patients regardless of their 
ability to pay and has never issued a patient a bill. Chairman Gertrude 
Bonatti Zotta, who has been involved with Deborah for more than 50 
years, and President Spero Margeotes are proudly carrying Mrs. 
Shapiro's compassion and concern into the 21st century.
  All of this has been made possible by thousands of volunteers who 
have given of their time and energy and helped find the necessary 
financial support. Regional chapters from Florida to New England 
coordinate efforts ranging from high school fund-raisers to 
professional golf tournaments to raise funds for the institution.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me in congratulating Deborah Heart and Lung Center on 77 years of 
dedicated service. A hospital is more than just a building filled with 
beds and medical supplies. A hospital's true spirit lies in the men and 
women who dedicate their own lives to improving--often literally 
saving--the lives of others. These include most obviously the doctors, 
nurses and other medical professionals, but also the administrators, 
support staff, board members, volunteers and visionaries like Dora 
Moness Shapiro. They all deserve our deepest thanks.

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