We’re Proud of Our Roots in the Community
“A hospital is somewhat like a lighthouse. As long as the skies are clear, the light that throws its gleam over the waters is perhaps unappreciated, but let a storm arise and how that beacon light shines like a ray of hope! So it is with the hospital. When the public health is comparatively unbroken, the careful preparation, the nurses ready for service may seem superfluous, but let the storm of an epidemic or the dread of one arise, and the hospital at once assumes its supreme importance.”
Truer words have never been spoken about Morristown Medical Center, and Mrs. Frederick G. Burnham, vice president of the Women’s Association, delivered this particular quote all the way back in 1900 – just a decade after the hospital was founded.
The hospital might not have existed at all if not for one visionary citizen: Myra Brookfield. In the days before the hospital, local doctors sent patients to Orange or New York City when hospitalization was necessary. However, after receiving such great care locally, Brookfield believed the area needed its own hospital – and she willed her property on DeHart Street to the city so they could establish a hospital upon her death. In honor of her historic impact on our community, a marker was placed on Brookfield’s grave in nearby Evergreen Cemetery and a second sign was erected at the hospital entrance to ensure her legacy lives forever.
While a lot has changed in the past century, one thing remains the same: Morristown Medical Center and Atlantic Health System are dedicated to delivering the highest quality care right here in our backyard. As we have done for the past 125 years, we’re committed to:
- Providing high-quality medical care in a safe and healing environment
- Listening to feedback from the community and families we serve
- Recruiting the best doctors and educating nurses in innovative care delivery techniques
- Investing in cutting-edge, less-invasive technology
- Expanding our community footprint to ensure more people have access to the highest quality care
Here’s to the next 125 years.