Local funeral home owner named to chair hospital board

Long known for his involvement in community service, McCracken is unanimously elected BRANCHVILLE — Robert E. McCracken values the community he has served in one form or another for all his life. Most well known as the owner/operator of Wood Funeral Home in Branchville and Smith McCracken Funeral Home in Newton, he also has raised funds for countless charities over the years and volunteers his time on various boards throughout the community. McCracken has held several leadership positions over the last nine years as a member of the North Jersey Health Care Corporation Board of Directors, which unanimously elected him its chairman at a most challenging time for the hospital. The North Jersey Health Care Corporation is the parent company of Newton Memorial Hospital. “The Board values the relationship the hospital has with this community,” McCracken said. “This community wants and deserves an independent community-based hospital of the highest quality, which is achieved through the dedication of our physicians, nurses and hospital team.” McCracken said he is committed to carrying out the strategic vision adopted by the board several years ago. The strategy is aimed at growing the hospital’s presence through additional physician-hospital affiliations and recruitment efforts, additional diagnostic and health and wellness sites and a planned expansion of the hospital’s main campus. In addition to achieving those goals, McCracken plans to strengthen the physician-hospital partnership with the more than 250 physicians who refer their patients to the facility, which has been the community’s primary choice of healthcare services since 1931. A funeral director for more than 25 years, McCracken says he has a keen awareness of the rigors physicians endure being on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Joining McCracken in leadership positions on the Board are: Tammie Horsfield, vice chairman; Thomas J. Senker, CEO and president of Newton Memorial Hospital; James S. Hubley, secretary; Christopher Lynch, treasurer; and E. Jane Brown, assistant treasurer.