Every day doctors go above and beyond to care for us and our families. At certain times, there is no one more important to us than our doctors, which is why it is important to say thank you.

To recognize these physicians, Clara Maass Medical Center is kicking off its second annual “Dear Doctor” campaign, sponsored by the Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation, and asking grateful individuals to write in and recognize their outstanding physician. Please share any stories or personal experiences that exemplify what is extraordinary about your physician’s service to you and your family or the community.

To do so, please send us a letter explaining why you would like to thank your doctor. The deadline is March 15, 2010. Letters can be e-mailed to deardoctor@sbhcs.com or mailed to “Dear Doctor, One Clara Maass Drive, Belleville, NJ 07109.” To be eligible, physicians must be on staff with Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, N.J. If you are not sure that your physician is on staff with the Medical Center, please call 973-450-2996.

Letters will be displayed in the Medical Center on Doctors’ Day, March 30. Selected physicians and their patients will be invited to a special event and receive a commemorative gift. Please include your name, phone number and address with your letter, so that we can contact you.

Take advantage of this unique way to wish your doctor a “Happy Doctor’s Day” and thank him or her for making a tangible difference in peoples’ lives by helping to make them better and, in many instances, saving their lives. For more information about “Dear Doctor,” please contact the Department of Public Relations and Marketing at 973-450-2996 or visit www.claramaassfoundation.org.

Clara Maass Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, provides a complete continuum of care to residents of northern New Jersey. Clara Maass Centers of medical excellence include the Women’s Health Center, Nuclear Medicine, The Cancer Center at Clara Maass, Diagnostic Cardiac Services including Cardiac Catheterization, Emergency Angioplasty and Rehabilitation, The Pain Management Center, The Joint & Spine Institute, a Vascular Center, Same Day Surgery, The Wound Center at Clara Maass, The Center for Sleep Disorders, The Bariatric Surgery Center, Rehabilitation Services, The Eye Surgery Center, Maternity Services and Parent Education, as well as Pediatrics. For a physician referral or more information about Clara Maass, call 1-888-SBHS-123 or visit www.saintbarnabas.com.