Dr. John Salaki

Gift Says Thanks for 5 Generations—and a Career

Dr Salaki smilingYou can hear the passion in Dr. John Salaki's voice when he talks about giving to Morristown Medical Center, where he has practiced medicine for more than 30 years and where five generations of his family have received care.

"This community has a deep commitment to Morristown Medical Center, and my family is living proof of that," relates Dr. Salaki, who grew up in nearby Metuchen. "It started with my grandmother and my mother; then three of our five children were born here. Of our 11 grandchildren, all but one was born here, and one of our grandchildren is now being followed in the diabetic program. People have a personal attachment to Morristown Medical Center based on their individual experience; it certainly is personal for me."

Dr. Salaki, for many years chief of the infectious disease department and currently a clinical assistant professor, says he is proud to have been affiliated with the hospital since 1980. He graduated from Mount St. Mary's College and the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, with a stint as a Navy physician thereafter. He is a former president of the medical staff and currently chairs the credentials committee and the bylaws committee.

Dr. Salaki and his wife, Rose, have been married almost 44 years—and for almost 20 years have been members of the Brookfield Legacy Society of the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center. He urges staff and other supporters to join the society, which honors those who have made planned gifts.

"My wife and I made a bequest in our will, but one of the beauties of the Foundation is that it provides a variety of ways to give; donors don't have to make a donation out of their pockets but rather by bequests, annuity programs, and other vehicles," Dr. Salaki says. "I would ask people to think very carefully—from the heart—and then make a donation to whatever area is most special to them."