U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) today was among those who gathered at the Clara Maass Medical Center for the opening of the newly-expanded emergency department. The department, which now includes a cardiac catheterization lab, was aided by a $333,000 federal appropriation that Rep. Pascrell had secured.

“This funding will help this lab expand patient space by 40 percent and purchase much needed equipment,” said Pascrell, a House Ways and Means Committee member. “As we all know, the leading cause of death nationally is heart disease. I am pleased that Clara Maass is ranked first in our state for the treatment of heart attack and congestive heart failure and has provided the best medical care to our residents.”

The funding, which was included in the federal budget for the 2009 fiscal year, will be used to purchase hemodynamic systems for monitoring patients’ blood flow as well as bedside heart monitors for the cardiac area in Clara Maass’ emergency department.

The expansion of Clara Maass’ emergency department, which was prompted by skyrocketing patient volume that surpassed 61,000 in 2008, includes the addition of a second cardiac catheterization lab where the equipment purchased with the grant will be utilized in cardiac emergencies.

Both the equipment and the Emergency Department enlargement respond to the need to treat rising numbers of emergency patients due to surrounding hospital closings, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Clara Maass Medical Center is in Essex County, New Jersey, the most densely populated county in the most densely populated state in the nation.  Over 60 percent of the care provided at Clara Maass Emergency Department is given to underserved and uninsured persons.  The patient population is highly diverse:  36 percent Hispanic/Latino; 13 percent African-American; 21.2 foreign-born; 29.7 percent for whom English is a second language.

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