The hospital was established in 1959 and thrived for many years until it became associated with the "Dr. X" murder trial of former chief surgeon Dr. Mario Jascalevich.
Jascalevich was hired as a surgeon in 1962 and developed a surgical stapler that was named for him.
The case lay dormant for a decade, until M. A. Farber of The New York Times ran a six-month series of articles in 1976 that disclosed the fact that there had been 13 suspicious deaths at the hospital, referring to Jascalevich using the pseudonym "Dr. X".
The case went to trial, with Jascalevich charged with three murders after two of the five original counts from the indictment were dropped.
After what was then the longest criminal trial in New Jersey history, Jascalevich was acquitted.