Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway  Stratford Camden

University Libraries Special Collections

In
UMDNJ Libraries-Special Collections Department
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey

Revised June 2005

History

The Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth founded St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, NJ, in 1895. The hospital initially settled into temporary quarters before constructing a permanent facility in 1898, which saw many additions added as the hospitals programs expanded. A nurses' training school was established but closed in 1971.

The Tissue Committee at St. Mary's Hospital was organized circa 1952 to systematically review patient charts to improve the quality of and need for surgical procedures preformed at the hospital. The Committee's goal was to reduce unnecessary surgery and that the rules of the Surgical Control Committee were complied with.

Scope & Content

The records of St. Mary's Hospital's Tissue Committee consist of two scrapbook volumes dated 1952-1953. The scrapbooks were compiled in 1966 "in recognition of depreciation for the pioneering work of the 'the original hospital tissue committee.' " The scrapbooks primarily include letters received by Dr. Henry V. Weinert of St. Mary's Hospital in response to his article, coauthored by Dr. Robert Brill who was Director of Laboratories at the hospital, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (November 8, 1952) concerning the positive impact of his tissue committee on surgical standards. Other correspondence to Dr. Brill and St. Mary's administrators, a copy of the JAMA article, minutes of the November & December 1949 meetings of the Tissue Committee are included, and congratulatory letters also comprise requests for copies of the rules of St. Mary's Surgical Control Committee.

Provenance: Gift of Mrs. Dorothea Smith, July 1, 1987

Size of Collection: 1 linear foot

For reference service and information contact:

Robert Vietrogoski
Special Collections
vietrora@umdnj.edu
(973) 972-7830
FAX (973) 972-7474

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