Salerno Medical Associates: A Family Legacy of Care

613 Park Avenue in East Orange is the office of Salerno Medical Associates. It may seem like just another building on this wide urban street, but it’s a building rich in history. A symbol of one family’s dedication to the community they have chosen to support for nearly a century. “You’re looking at a 19th century building that houses a 21st century practice. My father purchased the building, Alfonse Salerno, in the early 1950’s as his first home office. It was also the home for my grandparents. And, in fact, my grandmother was to face that greeted patients for many years as they came through the doors.

My father continued to maintain his presence here for 59 years. My mother’s also a physician, she continues to practice part time, she was one of the first female physicians in Newark. So it’s more than just an office, it’s more than just brick and mortars. It’s about history, it’s about tradition, it’s about our family taking care of your family.”

Salerno Medical Associates became a leader and advocate for the health and well-being of the increasingly urban community of East Orange and surrounding areas.

“During the sixties, during the race riots, when Newark was burning and on fire, many businesses, many doctors chose to lead the area, never to come back. But my mother and father stayed during the riots, and more importantly, after the riots to be part of the healing and rebuilding of the city and its people.” In the 1970’s a new generation was born who chose to carry on the family business into the 21st century.

“Growing up as an only child, I used to go with my parents on hospital rounds, house calls to both of their offices, and just see how to interacted with people. It’s something you don’t learn from a textbook, it’s something you just inherently see and develop and that was what was instilled in me. And so to me, it’s about compassion to the patient, it’s about commitment and sacrifice that I saw my parents do every day of my life, not because they had to but because they want to.”

Dr. Alexander Salerno, a former United States Air Force captain, chose to not only establishes practice here, but to take it to the next level, to meet the evolving needs of the community it serves. “When I joined my mom’s practice, and then eventually incorporated my dad’s practice, we formed Salerno Medical Associates in 2001. Initially, it was a primary care practice, but looking at changing community needs, we gradually expanded on the services and today it’s a one-stop shop. You can see a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, a gastroenterologist, a podiatrist, women’s health, preventative care, chronic care.

It has over 50 employees, it operates six days a week, it serves over 10,000 active patients.” In addition to expanding services, Dr. Salerno has also kept some long-held traditions intact, including Salerno Medical Associates house call program, which is one of the longest running programs of its kind in the area. Now called CHOP or Community Health Care Outreach Program, its services not only homebound seniors but also has expanded to address the needs of those with mental health issues.

In 2010, Dr. Salerno launched the Urban Healthcare Initiative Program, or UHIP, to address the growing disparity in healthcare outcomes in the urban community through education outreach programs.

#DrAlexanderSalerno tells the story of #SalernoMedicalAssociates and the family legacy of care they have brought to the community they serve for nearly a century. #AlexanderSalerno #SMA

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