As the longstanding Weequahic population becomes more affluent, it departs to the suburbs. Simultaneously, industrial jobs begin to move to the southern United States. Together, these acts contribute to a weakening in Newark's infrastructure and economy. Tensions grow in the heat of the summer of 1967, and ultimately, law and order collapse when poverty, discrimination, unemployment and frustration reach the boiling point.

Longtime city dwellers continue to leave Newark in favor of suburban neighborhoods that promise isolation from inner-city tensions. Suggestions that The Beth should also move away from Weequahic, away from Newark, intensify. But hospital trustees, led by chairman Alan Sagner, remain true to their founding principles, believing good health care is the cornerstone of urban tranquillity. They reaffirm their decision to stay.

For decades, Newark's City Hall is led by an Irish-American constituency. Subsequently, Italian-Americans take the lead, and then the African-American community. In 1970, Newark becomes the first major city in the eastern United States to elect an African-American mayor and a movement towards a vigorous rebirth begins. Soon, the airport/seaport complex begins to thrive; billions of dollars are spent to clean up slum areas and construct new housing; new college campuses, new office buildings and new jobs emerge. Finally, The Beth again looks out on a community that is filled with promise.

1967

The Beth's Phase II Construction Is Completed
What is known as "Phase II" of The Beth's construction is completed. This includes the addition of a 30-bed patient unit, 24-bed ICU-CCU, new kitchen and cafeteria, air-conditioning and a new boiler room.

State's First Kidney Transplant Is Performed At The Beth
The first kidney transplant in the State of New Jersey, and one of the first in the eastern United States, is performed at The Beth.

Our Name Is Changed To Reflect Our Strength
The Beth Israel Hospital changes its name and officially becomes Newark Beth Israel Medical Center to reflect its modern facilities and breadth of services.

Alan Sagner Is Re-Elected Medical Center Chairman
In May, Alan Sagner (shown in photo) is re-elected for a second term as chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Medical Center. The event takes place at the Board's 66th annual meeting at Suburban House, Temple B'nai Abraham. Mr. Sagner later becomes State Transportation Commissioner after 17 years as a member of the Board of The Beth. 

Two Beth Sons Are Elected To Our Board
Two sons are elected to the Medical Center's board of trustees, in keeping with the hospital tradition. Cecil Lichtman (shown in photo), vice-president, is the son of Abraham Lichtman, chairman of the board; Gilbert Augenblick, past president and now honorary president, is the son of Jack Augenblick, honorary vice-president. 

Lester Bornstein Is Named Beth Executive Director
Lester M. Bornstein (shown in photo) is named Executive Director of The Beth and later becomes President. Under his leadership, The Beth accomplishes a vast array of "firsts":  

Lester Bornstein remains at the Medical Center until his retirement on July 1, 1996.

Henry Lewis Conducts New Jersey Symphony
Henry Lewis (shown in photo with his wife, Marilyn Horne) becomes the first African-American to direct the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.  

Future Newark Mayor Wins Council Seat
Future Mayor of Newark, Sharpe James (shown in illustration), wins a South Ward City Council seat. He wins re-election in 1974 and again in 1978, when he runs unopposed. In 1982, he is elected councilman-at-large. He becomes Mayor of Newark in 1986. Mayor James is a resident of Weequahic.

Top-Selling Author Judy Blume Is An Area Native
A native of nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey, Judy Blume becomes one of the top  selling female authors of all time. Her 21 books sell over 65 million copies and are translated into more than 20 languages.  A few of her most popular titles include, Blubber, Just As Long As We're Together and Are You There, God?

Circa1970

Renowned Beth Physicians Are Celebrated
Renowned Beth physicians Frederick Cohen, M.D., and Donald Brief, M.D. (shown in photos) are among the first physicians in the world to perform warm limb perfusion with chemotherapy.

1970

State's First Oncology Program Is At The Beth
The Beth's Oncology Program is created as the only fully operational oncology service in the State of New Jersey.

1972

First American-Made Nuclear-Powered Pacemaker
Procedures Begin At Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
The Beth is the site where the first American-made, nuclear-powered pacemaker  procedures begin. Four years later the Medical Center gains worldwide recognition by implanting these pacemakers in 15 pioneering patients.

First African-American State Senator
A longtime resident of Weequahic and former Essex County Freeholder, Wynona M. Lipman (shown in the photos) becomes the first African-American woman to be elected to the New Jersey State Senate. Then, after 27 years in office, she becomes the State Senate's longest-serving member. Lipman dies in May of 1999. In 2000, The Wynona M. Lipman Child Advocacy Center at Children's Hospital of New Jersey, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is named in her memory.

1973

The Beth's Pacemaker Team Is Celebrated
The Beth's Voice reports, "Max Spieler dropped in to discuss the nuclear-powered pacemaker with the Pacemaker Team and discovered a year earlier, he would become the first human in whom the American-made device would later be implanted." (Shown in photo, left to right: Victor Parsonnet, M.D., Director, Department of Surgery; Lawrence Gilbert, M.D., Director, Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery; Max Spieler; and I. Richard Zucker, M.D., Director, Cardiodynamics and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.)

1974

First Hispanic Person Elected To Major Political Office In Newark
Henry Martinez (shown in photo), a former Newark policeman and son of Spanish immigrants, is the first Hispanic person elected to any major Newark office, as he becomes an East Ward Councilman. He later becomes Council President and Mayor.  

First Woman Is Elected To Citywide Office In Newark
Ms. Ralph A. Villani (shown in photo), wife of the former mayor, is elected Councilwoman-at-large, becoming the very first woman elected to a citywide office in Newark.

1975

Two Generations Of Surgeons Working Together At The Beth
Two generations of renowned Beth surgeons, Victor Parsonnet, M.D., and Eugene Parsonnet, M.D. (shown in photo) serve The Beth and the community side-by-side for decades.  

Circa1976

Newark Jazz Great Enriches Our Music History
Famed Newark born saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter (right) performs with jazz great Herbie Hancock (left) at the McCarter Theatre to rave reviews. Hancock and Shorter worked together previously in the late 1960s with the famed Miles Davis Quintet.

	1978   New Jersey Governor Attends Beth Phase IV Dedication The Dedication Ceremony on September 24th for the opening of Phase IV of The Beth (shown in photo) includes the dedication of the Abraham Lichtman Lobby, as well as the Alan Sagner Department of Medicine and Patient Care units. Special guests for the event include New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne and Beth Chairman Alan Sagner.
(click here for larger view)

Circa1979

Flo Okin Oncology Center Opens At The Beth
The much anticipated and highly publicized Flo Okin Oncology Center officially opens at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

Circa1980

Beth Establishes First Hyperalimentation Program
The Beth is one of the first medical centers in the United States, and among the first in the world, to have an organized hyperalimentation program.

Newark's Flagg Family Legacy Continues
J. Thomas Flagg, Ph.D. (shown in 1980 photo) is a professor at Montclair College. He also becomes the Director of Secondary Education in the Newark School System. His wife, E. Alma Flagg, Ph.D. (shown in right photo) is the first African-American woman to be named Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Newark. She becomes a school principal in the early 1960s and retires in 1983. An elementary school in Newark is named Dr. E. Alma Flagg School in her honor.

Social Worker William Ashby Remembered
William Ashby (shown in photo), one of New Jersey's first professional social workers, is in charge of the Newark and Elizabeth Urban Leagues for many years. He is held in the highest public esteem for assisting newly arrived African-American migrant workers and other ethnic persons obtain housing, employment and justice.

1980

Medical Center Celebrates Its Phase V Groundbreaking
Ground is broken for Phase V of The Beth's construction. The fourth floor of the Medical Center is renovated to house a state-of-the-art kidney center and ambulatory peritoneal dialysis center. Additionally, Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Radiation Therapy Services are expanded into state-of-the-art facilities.

1981

First Angioplasty Is Performed At Newark Beth Israel
The Beth performs its first cardiac angioplasty procedure. It is also among the first such procedures to be performed in the region, as well as within the eastern United States.

City Consolidation Strengthens Newark
The area's various city governments eventually become consolidated, which ultimately strengthens Newark overall.

1982

New Jersey's First African-American Congressman
Peter W. Rodino retires as dean of the New Jersey delegation in the U.S. Congress. He is replaced by Donald M. Payne (shown in photo), the former South Ward City Councilman, national YMCA president and school teacher. Payne becomes the first African-American Congressman from the State of New Jersey.

1983

First Poison Control Center Is Established At The Beth
The State of New Jersey's very first Poison Control Center is founded at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

1985

Beth Initiates Major Neonatal Developments
Opening Day Ceremonies for the Medical Center's new Neonatal Unit marks a much needed advance in medicine to address the high infant mortality rate in Newark.

Our Critical Medical Firsts Make Headlines Worldwide
The Medical Center becomes the site for the world's first dual-chamber pacemaker implantation, the state's first electrophysiology program and the state's first use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. These extraordinary accomplishments make headlines in newspapers and medical journals worldwide.  

1985

State's First Sleep Disorders Center Is Accredited
The Sleep Disorders Center earns official accreditation and becomes the first such center to be accredited in the entire State of New Jersey.

First Heart Transplant Program Is Established At The Beth
As the state's leading cardiac center, The Beth is selected as the medical center for New Jersey's first and only heart transplant program. In early 1986, The Beth performs the state's first two human heart transplants within 36 hours of each other. Both procedures are highly successful.

1986

Sharpe James Is Elected Mayor Of Newark
Highly energetic and visible South Ward Councilman Sharpe James wins a surprise victory over Mayor Gibson. During Mayor James' administration, bond ratings rise, city revenue increases and numerous affordable housing complexes are constructed. Many major businesses relocate to the region and expand. Overall, it's a time of great prosperity for Newark.

Circa1988

Area's Ironbound District Continues To Flourish
A steady stream of immigrants flows into Newark's Ironbound district since Irish-Americans settled here in the early nineteenth century. Initially, they are largely employed to build the railroad and canal systems. Today, visitors come to sample Ironbound's Portuguese and Spanish foods and discover its charm, ethnic diversity and pride. 

1989

Top Cardiology Program Resides At The Beth
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center ranks in the top five percent of the entire nation in the number of open-heart surgeries performed annually.

1990

Beth Bone Marrow Transplant Program Is Launched
The Medical Center's team of oncologists and hematologists launches the Bone Marrow Transplant Program. This is part of The Beth's continuing commitment to provide the newest therapies as a leading regional cancer center.

Medical Center Advances Critical Care
Two critical care units are established at the Medical Center, one of which resides in the state's only heart transplant center at The Beth.

Newark's Jason Alexander Appears On Seinfeld
Jason Alexander is a Newark native and Broadway song-and-dance man, long before becoming a television star. In 1990, he wins the role of a  lifetime when he is cast as George Costanza on TV's Seinfeld.  The show is the highest rated program in America, and Alexander (shown in photo) becomes one of the most recognized entertainers in the world.

1991

Beth Celebrates 90 Years Of Service
The Beth's 90th anniversary is a  celebration of the tremendous medical advances which the Medical Center has given to this community, the nation and the world. (Lester M. Bornstein, Hospital CEO, is featured in this photograph, along with Natalie Baron, R.N.)

1992

Much Needed Transplant Society Founded
Physician leadership at The Beth and Saint Barnabas Medical Center leads to an effort to create The Transplant Society of New Jersey.

State's First Lung Is Transplanted At The Beth
The state of New Jersey's first successful lung transplantation procedure is performed at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

1993

First LVAD Is Implanted At The Medical Center
The Beth implants the state's first LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device), which is a temporary pump used in patients to assist the beating of the heart.

1994

The Beth's New Outpatient Building Opens
After nearly a year of construction, The Beth's new outpatient building houses a number of leading-edge departments. First, a newly renovated Voluntary Inpatient Psychiatric Unit is dedicated. Two months later, a grand opening celebration is held for the Medical Center's Childcare Center. This is followed by the dedication of a new three-level outpatient building that is described by City Council President, Donald Bradley, as "a blessing for all residents of Newark."  

1995  

Construction Begins On Our New Emergency Center Construction begins with a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Lester M. Bornstein Center for Emergency Services at The Beth. (Left to right: Alma Beatty, Director of Community Relations; Joseph Calabro, M.D.; Lester Z. Lieberman, Chairman; Lester M. Bornstein, President; and Jackie Waleson, R.N.)

For nearly a century, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center has been an integral part of the South Ward. By the mid-1990s, The Beth is a 665-bed hospital, with a reputation for outstanding physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. Its critically acclaimed medical services and outreach programs link this world-renowned institution with other hospitals throughout the tristate area. The Medical Center's emergency transportation network greatly extends treatment capabilities. As the twenty-first century nears, the face of health care is rapidly changing.

In 1996, led by the groundbreaking efforts of Lester Z. Lieberman, Chairman, the Board of Trustees of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center votes to combine its strengths with Saint Barnabas Health Care System. A new era of service,  innovation and leadership begins at The Beth, as it is now enhanced by the state's largest integrated health care delivery system. Again, under the leadership of Lester Z. Lieberman, the financial assets from the transaction are used to create a separate, independent, permanently endowed foundation to be known as The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey. (Board shown in photo below.) The Foundation embodies the ideal of tzedakah, or "social justice," through the funding of innovative  programs designed to address the health care needs of vulnerable individuals and families of the South Ward of Newark, as well as members of the MetroWest Jewish Community.

Ronald J. Del Mauro, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Barnabas Health Care System, pledges to provide the Newark Beth Israel community with the finest health care possible. This level of care extends well beyond treating illness to include aggressive prevention and educational programs. The Beth now offers more services and programs than ever before. This initiative also leads to The Beth becoming the site of two Saint Barnabas Health Care System affiliates---The Children's Hospital of New Jersey and The HEART HOSPITAL of New Jersey. The Medical Center further strengthens its commitment to the community with major expansions in both emergency services and outpatient care.

1996

Lieberman Ambulatory Center Opens
The new Lester Z. Lieberman Ambulatory Care Center is completed, commemorating Mr. Lieberman's  leadership role (shown in illustration) at The Beth. As chairman from 1988 to 1996, he is instrumental in planning and implementing our Phase IX construction and renovation project, which includes:

• Expanding the Emergency Department and relocating Pathology and the Laboratory on two floors atop the Emergency Department;

• New main entrance lobby, Admitting, Same Day Surgery and physician spaces;

• New nine-level parking garage;

• New outpatient facility (Family Health Center);

• Bridges across Lyons Avenue and Osborne Terrace;

• New accounting building;

• New dental facilities;

• Renovated Respiratory Department and Sleep Study facilities;

• Renovation of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation;

• Affiliation with Saint Barnabas Health Care System.