Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham Names New Chief of Cardiology

Needham Resident Cliff Berger, MD, FACC, To Lead Cardiology Department

Needham, MA – Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham has named Cliff Berger, MD, FACC, the new Chief of Cardiology. For the past 19 years, Berger has been affiliated with Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton where he has been the director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. He was a also staff cardiologist at Boston Medical Center and St Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton until recently and previously also worked at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

“Cliff is an experienced, highly respected, caring cardiologist who is beloved by his patients,” said John Fogarty, FACHE, president, BID Needham. “Over his 36-year medical career, he has proven to be a reliable leader who teaches the next generation of physicians and also steps up to the plate in hospital leadership roles. He is a wonderful addition to our BID Needham family.”

Berger is double Board Certified in Interventional Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tuft’s School of Medicine and previously served as an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

“As a resident of Needham, I am happy to be joining my community hospital. BID Needham is known for its compassionate clinicians and their mission of providing extraordinary healthcare,” said Berger. “I hope to lead the Cardiology team with the same care and compassion that they demonstrate toward their patients.”

Berger earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Princeton University where he graduated summa cum laude, and his Medical Degree from New York University School of Medicine. He did his training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In addition to his work at BID Needham, he has also joined the Cardiology Division at BIDMC in Boston and will be teaching and performing cardiac catheterization and stent procedures there as well. 

“We also thank outgoing Cardiology Chief Dr Joe Kannam, who led the department for over 20 years with distinction and will remain active on the hospital staff,” said Fogarty.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham (BID Needham) is a licensed 73-bed acute care community hospital. BID Needham has served residents in Needham and surrounding communities for more than 100 years. The hospital has been recognized by several organizations for quality and safety, including five-out-of-five stars from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group, the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission and the 2019 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award.

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham is part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.