Westwood Doctor Performs "Groundbreaking" Surgery

Thomas Cocke worked with a team of other doctors to perform a transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

A Westwood doctor helped perform a "groundbreaking minimally invasive" surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center April 5, according to a statement from hospital officials. Cardiologist Dr. Thomas Cocke, who practices at Westwood Cardiology Associates, was a co-surgeon and the lead interventional cardiologist for the procedure. Cocke and five other doctors performed the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the region. The procedure was done without a heart lung machine or open-heart surgery. Doctors inserted a valve through a cut in the patient's leg with a balloon catheter. The balloon was then expanded, leaving the valve in place. The valve has been recently approved by the FDA and is only available to hospitals on a …

• Photos (1)

Driver Who Hit Tree Was Dead Before Crash, Reports Say

The Garfield woman was pronounced dead after her car struck a tree Thursday afternoon.

A Garfield woman whose car hit a tree Thursday was dead before the accident, according to a report from the Cliffview Pilot. An unnamed law enforcement official said the woman appeared to have been dead before the accident because of the lack of blood from a head wound. Police Chief Frank Regino said the 70-year-old Garfield woman appeared to have had a "catastrophic medical situation" while driving along Fourth Avenue. The woman's car hit a tree in front of a house at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Meadow lane, Regino said. She was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

• Photos (1)

Christie Praises Hospital Approval at Westwood Meeting

The governor held a town hall meeting in Westwood Wednesday morning.

Governor Chris Christie praised State Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd's decision to approve the reopening of the former Pascack Valley Hospital during a town hall meeting in Westwood Wednesday. O'Dowd announced the decision to reopen the facility as Hackensack University Medical Center North at Pascack Valley in a letter to HUMC CEO and President Robert Garrett Monday. Christie said he expects the hospital will improve medical care for residents and bring more jobs back to the area. "This is the right decision for the residents of the Pascack Valley," Christie said. "It's going to provide immediate increases in access to health care for everybody in this community." The governor also praised the state and local officials who pushed for the…

•  10 Comments
• Photos (40)
• Videos (1)

State Health Commissioner Approves Westwood Hospital

The decision marks the final approval needed for the hospital to reopen.

State Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd approved Hackensack University Medical Center's plan to reopen the former Pascack Valley Hospital as a new 128-bed facility Monday, according to a 14-page letter O'Dowd wrote to HUMC President and CEO Robert Garrett. Pascack Valley Hospital was closed in 2007 due to financial troubles and has recently had an emergency room operated by HUMC, but approval was needed before the rest of the facility could be reopened as a full-service hospital. Texas-based LHP Hospital Group, a for-profit care provider, will operate the facility. Richard S. Freeman will serve as the CEO. Westwood Mayor John Birkner said he expects the hospital will be a positive force on the community, comparing the efforts of residents to…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Linda Besink

3:42 pm on Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Very good news! Thanks to everyone who lobbied for this to happen, from the local elected officials to the people with lawn signs. The other hospitals seem to care more about corporate survival than they do about patients. Both are important but people come first.   more ›

Hundreds Come Out for Hearing on Proposed Westwood Hospital

Locals gathered at Westwood High School to express their views on the HUMC application

Hundreds of area residents came to the public hearing about the Hackensack University Medical Center application to open a new hospital in Westwood at the former site of Pascack Valley Hospital. Many expressed their opinions for the State Health Planning Board, which will make a recommendation on the application to the Department of Health commissioner, who will make the final decision. The majority of the speakers were in favor of opening a 128-bed acute care facility on Old Hook Road in Westwood, but representatives from Valley Hospital and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center came to express their opposition. President and CEO of HUMC Robert Garrett started the hearing by expressing gratitude for the support the hospital has received …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (14)

Question of the Week

Do You Think the HUMC Application for a New Hospital Should Be Approved?

The State Health Planning Board has a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday

It's been nearly four years since Pascack Valley Hospital closed its doors in Westwood and many in the area have been pushing for its reopening since then. Now, Hackensack University Medical Center's certificate of need application has been deemed complete and the State Health Planning Board is tasked with making a recommendation to the commissioner. To help gather information, the State Health Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing for Wednesday at Westwood Jr./Sr. High School. Residents will be able to give their oral and written opinions, which board members will consider in the recommendation. Patch wants to know what you think about the application HUMC has put forward. Some believe a hospital is necessary in this area while …

•  6 Comments
• Photos (1)

HUMC Application for Westwood Hospital Moves Forward

The state Planning Board will hold a public hearing Wednesday

It's been nearly four years since the doors of Pascack Valley Hospital closed, but a decision could be made in the next several months that would reopen a fully functioning hospital on Old Hook Road in Westwood. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services found the certificate of need application from Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) complete Friday after getting answers to some questions that came with the application. The State Health Planning Board has 90 days from Friday to make a recommendation to the commissioner, advising whether the application should be granted or denied. To help gather information for a decision, the State Health Planning Board has a public hearing on the application scheduled for Wednesday…

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

State Deems Application For Pascack Valley Hospital Complete

HUMC will hold a public hearing on the plan in two weeks.

Hackensack University Medical Center's plan to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood cleared another hurdle Friday, after the state Department of Health deemed the hospital's certificate of need application complete.  HUMC will hold a public hearing on the application at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 in the auditorium of the Westwood Regional Junior/Senior High School in Washington Township. The State Health Planning Board will then schedule a vote and a decision could be made before the end of the year, hospital officials have said.  If approved, HUMC will reopen Pascack Valley Hospital as a full-service, 128-bed facility — a move residents have been advocating for years. Pascack Valley closed its doors in 2007 due to bankruptcy. "This is an …

• Photos (1)