HISTORY of South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates, LLC
History of the Physicians of South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates
1942 - Harold Torger Hansen, MD, a polio survivor, graduates from N.J. Orhopaedic Hospital residency program in Orange, N.J. and opens his office at 153 Irvington Avenue, South Orange, N.J.
1957 – Robert Van D. Finnesey, MD graduates from N.J. Orthopaedic Hospital residency program in Orange, N.J. and joins Harold Hansen, MD in the South Orange practice of Hansen and Finnesey . 1974 - Dr. Finnesey leaves the practice of Hansen and Finnesey to go solo in the South Orange area.
1974 – Roger Hansen, MD (Harold’s son) graduates from Dartmouth Medical School orthopaedic residency program in Hanover, N.H. and joins his father in the South Orange practice of Hansen and Hansen at 153 Irvington Avenue in South Orange, N.J.
1976 – Harold T. Hansen, MD retires and Roger Hansen, MD is joined by William Dowling, MD, who just graduated from N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency program in Newark, N.J. 1976 -The practice name is changed to South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at 153 Irvington Avenue in South Orange, N.J. Roger Hansen, MD becomes the founder of this current entity which succeeds the original organization created by his father, Harold T. Hansen, MD who was a polio survivor and the son of a Norwegian ship builder.
1977 – Frederick F. Buechel, MD graduates from N.J. Medical School Orthopaedic Residency program in Newark, N.J. and joins Drs. Roger Hansen and William Dowling at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates located at 153 Irvington Avenue in South Orange, N.J.
1978 – Burgess Lee Berlin, MD, JD graduates from N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency program and joins Drs. Roger Hansen and Frederick Buechel at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates. Dr. Dowling leaves the practice to go solo in the Morristown area.
1980 – Roger Hansen, MD leaves the practice and moves to Keene, N.H. to go solo and resigns from his position on the South Orange – Maplewood School Board of Education. Dr. Buechel becomes the President of South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates.
1981 – Andrew Weiss, MD, Chairman; Casey K. Lee, MD, Vice-Chairman; John J. McKeon, MD; and Irving Strauchler, MD, all member of the N.J. Medical School Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Group in Newark, N.J., join Dr. Buechel at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates. Dr. Berlin then leaves the practice to go solo in the South Orange area.
1983 – Drs. Weiss, Lee, McKeon and Strauchler leave the practice and return to their N.J. Medical School base at University Hospital in Newark, N.J. Dr. Buechel remains at the 153 Irvington Avenue office as a solo practitioner.
1985 – Richard A. Rosa, MD, a graduate of the N.J. Medical School orthopedic residency program, graduates from the Hospital for Special Surgery Joint Replacement Fellowship Program in NYC and joins Dr. Buechel at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 153 Irvington Avenue office. 1986 - South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates move to 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J., after extensive renovation of the old “First Street Grammar School”.
1987 – Thomas A. Helbig, MD, a graduate of the N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency program, graduates from Hansen Yuan, MD’s Spinal Fellowship Program in Syracuse, N.Y. and joins Dr. Buechel and Dr. Rosa at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office.
1990 – Dr. Rosa leaves the practice to go solo in the West Orange, N.J. area. Drs. Buechel and Helbig continue to practice for South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office. 1993 – Kevin Egan, MD graduates from the Hospital for Joint Diseases Joint Replacement Fellowship Program in NYC and joins Drs. Buechel and Helbig at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office.
2000 – Dr. Egan leaves the practice to go solo in the West Orange area. Drs. Buechel and Helbig continue to practice for South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office. 2003 – Thomas F. Cuomo, MD, a N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency graduate in 1978, joins Drs. Buechel and Helbig at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office, after closing his solo practice office in West Orange, N.J.
2004 – Crystal Jackson, PA-C, a physician’s assistant from N.J. Orthopaedic Hospital in Orange, N.J., joins South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates practice in South Orange.
2014 – Dr. Cuomo retires from South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates. Drs.Buechel and Helbig, continue to practice at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office.
2015 – Crystal Jackson, PA-C leaves the practice for a position in an active NYC hospital.
2018 – Dr. Helbig continues to concentrate on office orthopaedics and Independent Medical Examinations. He resigns from surgical practice. 2022 - Dr. Buechel continues to concentrate on office orthopaedic treatment to his patients in the South Orange office and resigns from surgical practice. 2023 - Effective January 1, 2023 the practice of South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates transfers patient care and medical records to Health East Medical Alliance at the 61 First Street, South Orange NJ address.
1957 – Robert Van D. Finnesey, MD graduates from N.J. Orthopaedic Hospital residency program in Orange, N.J. and joins Harold Hansen, MD in the South Orange practice of Hansen and Finnesey . 1974 - Dr. Finnesey leaves the practice of Hansen and Finnesey to go solo in the South Orange area.
1974 – Roger Hansen, MD (Harold’s son) graduates from Dartmouth Medical School orthopaedic residency program in Hanover, N.H. and joins his father in the South Orange practice of Hansen and Hansen at 153 Irvington Avenue in South Orange, N.J.
1976 – Harold T. Hansen, MD retires and Roger Hansen, MD is joined by William Dowling, MD, who just graduated from N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency program in Newark, N.J. 1976 -The practice name is changed to South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at 153 Irvington Avenue in South Orange, N.J. Roger Hansen, MD becomes the founder of this current entity which succeeds the original organization created by his father, Harold T. Hansen, MD who was a polio survivor and the son of a Norwegian ship builder.
1977 – Frederick F. Buechel, MD graduates from N.J. Medical School Orthopaedic Residency program in Newark, N.J. and joins Drs. Roger Hansen and William Dowling at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates located at 153 Irvington Avenue in South Orange, N.J.
1978 – Burgess Lee Berlin, MD, JD graduates from N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency program and joins Drs. Roger Hansen and Frederick Buechel at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates. Dr. Dowling leaves the practice to go solo in the Morristown area.
1980 – Roger Hansen, MD leaves the practice and moves to Keene, N.H. to go solo and resigns from his position on the South Orange – Maplewood School Board of Education. Dr. Buechel becomes the President of South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates.
1981 – Andrew Weiss, MD, Chairman; Casey K. Lee, MD, Vice-Chairman; John J. McKeon, MD; and Irving Strauchler, MD, all member of the N.J. Medical School Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Group in Newark, N.J., join Dr. Buechel at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates. Dr. Berlin then leaves the practice to go solo in the South Orange area.
1983 – Drs. Weiss, Lee, McKeon and Strauchler leave the practice and return to their N.J. Medical School base at University Hospital in Newark, N.J. Dr. Buechel remains at the 153 Irvington Avenue office as a solo practitioner.
1985 – Richard A. Rosa, MD, a graduate of the N.J. Medical School orthopedic residency program, graduates from the Hospital for Special Surgery Joint Replacement Fellowship Program in NYC and joins Dr. Buechel at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 153 Irvington Avenue office. 1986 - South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates move to 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J., after extensive renovation of the old “First Street Grammar School”.
1987 – Thomas A. Helbig, MD, a graduate of the N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency program, graduates from Hansen Yuan, MD’s Spinal Fellowship Program in Syracuse, N.Y. and joins Dr. Buechel and Dr. Rosa at South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office.
1990 – Dr. Rosa leaves the practice to go solo in the West Orange, N.J. area. Drs. Buechel and Helbig continue to practice for South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office. 1993 – Kevin Egan, MD graduates from the Hospital for Joint Diseases Joint Replacement Fellowship Program in NYC and joins Drs. Buechel and Helbig at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office.
2000 – Dr. Egan leaves the practice to go solo in the West Orange area. Drs. Buechel and Helbig continue to practice for South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office. 2003 – Thomas F. Cuomo, MD, a N.J. Medical School orthopaedic residency graduate in 1978, joins Drs. Buechel and Helbig at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office, after closing his solo practice office in West Orange, N.J.
2004 – Crystal Jackson, PA-C, a physician’s assistant from N.J. Orthopaedic Hospital in Orange, N.J., joins South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates practice in South Orange.
2014 – Dr. Cuomo retires from South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates. Drs.Buechel and Helbig, continue to practice at the 61 First Street, South Orange, N.J. office.
2015 – Crystal Jackson, PA-C leaves the practice for a position in an active NYC hospital.
2018 – Dr. Helbig continues to concentrate on office orthopaedics and Independent Medical Examinations. He resigns from surgical practice. 2022 - Dr. Buechel continues to concentrate on office orthopaedic treatment to his patients in the South Orange office and resigns from surgical practice. 2023 - Effective January 1, 2023 the practice of South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates transfers patient care and medical records to Health East Medical Alliance at the 61 First Street, South Orange NJ address.