Hundreds gathered to incorporate the Deborah Jewish Consumptive Relief Society.

Deborah has benefited from the support and friendship of many luminaries, including German-born physicist, Albert Einstein.

In 1931, Deborah founder, Dora Moness Shapiro laid the cornerstone for a new Main Building, which would replace the wooden cottages of the original campus.

Clara Falk Franks came to Deborah as a patient in 1934, and remained after she was cured to become a legend in the hospital’s history. For nearly 50 years, Franks raised funds and awareness for Deborah by organizing legions of volunteers into becoming fundraising chapters, and winning support from countless others.

Volunteers continued to answer the call to raise funds as Deborah thrived.

Deborah and its mission continued to receive recognition and support of the famous and influential people of the day, such as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

He who serves humanity serves God, he who serves Deborah serves both. This phrase became the credo for the volunteer chapters of the day.

Selman Abraham Waksman, inventor, biochemist and microbiologist whose research into the decomposition of organisms that live in soil enabled the discovery of streptomycin and several other antibiotics, is pictured with Dr. Daniel Rednor, Medical Superintendent, and Clara Franks, Assistant to the President.

By 1952, Deborah starts to transition from a tuberculosis sanatorium and begins to determine the future direction of the hospital.

Charles Bailey, M.D., directed cardiovascular surgery at Deborah and his methods were the focus of a 1957 Time magazine article. The first U.S. physician to repair a hole in the wall between the two sides of the heart, Dr. Bailey was born in Wanamassa, N.J., and educated at Rutgers University, Hahnemann Medical College, and the University of Pennsylvania.

On July 28, 1958, Dr. Charles Bailey performed Deborah’s first heart surgeries on three-year old Bill DiMartino and Dora Hansen.

Deborah’s first cardiac catheterization was performed by Vladir Maranhao, M.D., in July 1959.

Canister drives by the area chapters gained support for the hospital by featuring children whose lives were saved by Deborah.

Members gather for the installation of officers of Deborah’s Lakewood (NJ) Chapter. Deborah’s many chapters and supporters unite people from all backgrounds and interests. Deborah Chapters and affiliates continue to work diligently to make Deborah Heart and Lung Center a better place.

In 1965, the Lesser Building, named for former Deborah President Jack Lesser, was added to the Main Building, significantly expanding patient care areas. Lesser was named president of the hospital in 1956 after serving as a member of the hospital board for nearly 30 years. During Lesser’s administration the hospital grew from a sanatorium to a treatment and research center for heart and lung diseases.

In 1970, Deborah’s Pediatric Unit was named the Sylvia Martin Children’s World to provide excellent care specifically for the youngest patients.  Deborah later became known for treating children around the world with cardiac issues.

The Children of the World® program began treating pediatric patients with congenital heart defects and other severe medical problems that could not receive advanced heart and lung care in their home countries. Children from more than 80 countries came to Browns Mills for treatment and received care at no cost.

Guest Lecturer and renowned cardiac surgeon, James Malm speaks at the Jack Lesser Memorial Lecture. Deborah Heart and Lung Center frequently hosted world-class continuing education symposia, guest lectures and grand rounds for its medical staff.

At the end of the 70s, Deborah would undergo major expansion, building the North and South Wing of the hospital leading into the new decade.

Pediatric heart care has always been a part of the Deborah mission from very early on. In 1979 the Augusta Gollin Mother’s Cottage was completed to provide on-campus housing for the mothers of pediatric patients. Today, the building still stands and provides respite for first responders.

Vladir Maranhao, MD, affectionately known as “Dr. Mara” performed Deborah’s first percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or balloon angioplasty. Dr. Mara also performed Deborah’s first cardiac catheterization in 1959 and spent 28 years at Deborah Heart and Lung Center as a cardiologist, chairman of the department of cardiovascular diseases and later vice president of medical affairs.

Stanly H. Fryczynski, Jr. served as president from 1980 to 1983 and then again from 1986 to 1994.

Hartley Shein served as president from 1983 to 1986.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center established the first human heart valve bank in the Northeastern United States in 1986. Led by the clinical research institute, Deborah was the first in the region to perform human valve transplants used in replacement and reconstructive cardiac surgery.

Eva Cymrot from Fort Lauderdale Florida donated $1 million in the name of her deceased husband, Alexander E. Cymrot, for the two-story, 15,000-square-foot office building now the headquarters of the Deborah Hospital Foundation.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) using fiber optic technology to diagnose and treat problems in the chest become available at Deborah. A tiny camera called a thoracoscope is inserted into the chest through a small incision. This procedure offered patients a less invasive surgical option for lung biopsy and tumor removal and greatly reduced recovery time.

An integral role in Deborah’s capital expansion that year, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation awarded a $1.2 million grant to build a new medical intensive care unit. Today the MICU continues to care for critically ill patients because of the Weinbergs’ generous gift.

Spero Margeotes served as hospital president from 1994 to 2004.

December 1999, National Research Corporation (NRC) names Deborah Heart and Lung Center one of the nation’s top hospitals for heart care.

The Deborah team attends a prayer service held in the hospital chapel to honor the victims of the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

Patients suffering from atrial fibrillation, a form of abnormal heart rhythm obtain groundbreaking care thanks to advances in cardiac electrophysiology. In 2002, Raffaele Corbisiero, MD implanted two of the smallest implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and pacemakers in the world at Deborah Heart and Lung Center.

The Annual Red Tie Gala is the Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year and supports heart, lung and vascular care at Deborah Heart and Lung Center.

Lynn B. McGrath, MD surpassed his 10,000th open-heart surgery procedure – achieving a professional milestone joining an elite group of cardiothoracic surgeons worldwide.

In 2010 when his mother, Edith, passed away Jim Klinghoffer made a generous donation to the Deborah Hospital Foundation in honor of his parents. Deborah acknowledged this gift by naming The Harry and Edith Klinghoffer Administration Services Building as a tribute to the Klinghoffer family.

Eight of the Dalai Lama’s emissary Tibetan monks performed as part of Drepung Gomang Institute Sacred Arts Tour at Deborah in 2011. The monks performed a traditional Tibetan hospital blessing and Good Luck Dance. Deborah was selected as a tour stop because of its history fighting tuberculosis, a prevalent health problem in Southern India where the Monks have a monastery in exile from Tibet.

Deborah named among Becker’s Hospital Review’s “100 Hospitals With Great Heart Programs.”

Deborah Specialty Physicians opens in Toms River, NJ to provide care to patients.

Deborah Specialty Physicians opens in Galloway, NJ to provide care to patients in Atlantic County.

Deborah opens a medical office building on the Browns Mills campus to serve the needs of the community. The new facility brings much needed primary and specialty care services to the area.

Veterans’ Health Initiative Award presented to Deborah and Cooper University Health Care for the HeroCare Connect Program.

Deborah Specialty Physicians opens in Whiting, NJ.

Each year during National Heart Month Deborah team members take part in National Wear Red Day®. This annual event unites millions of people around the world in the fight to eradicate  heart disease and stroke.

Deborah becomes the exclusive Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute affiliate in Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties in New Jersey as well as Bucks and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania. This clinical affiliation is part of the strategic plan to continue Deborah’s mission of maintaining the highest standards of quality cardiac care for patients.

During Valentine’s Day weekend, Congressman Andy Kim teamed up with students from Pemberton School District in Burlington County and Brick School District in Ocean County to deliver Valentine’s Day cards to Deborah’s health care heroes.

Deborah becomes the first hospital in the nation to implant 100 Bluetooth enabled defibrillators. The Abbott Gallant™ implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) devices pair with a smartphone app via Bluetooth, providing remote monitoring for patients with abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure.