DREXEL HILL, Pa. – Neurosurgeon and vice president of Medical Affairs for Delaware County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) Harold Haft, M.D., will retire at the end of 2006 after 45 distinguished years of service to the Drexel Hill hospital.
“During my tenure at DCMH, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of very talented professionals, and I’ve enjoyed my job very much,” says Dr. Haft, 80, a resident of Wynnewood. “It’s been an honor to serve an untold number of physicians and staff, and I have been pleased to be able to develop very strong working relationships with them here at Delaware County.”
Born and raised in New York, Dr. Haft is a graduate of New York University and received his medical degree from the State University of New York’s Downstate Medical Center. He completed his Surgical internship at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center of New York and his Neurosurgical residency at Kingsbridge Veterans Administrative Hospital and Neurological Institute, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.
In private practice since 1959, Dr. Haft joined the medical staff at DCMH in 1961.
“I practiced general neurosurgery, concentrating on spinal disc herniations, brain tumors, ruptured cerebral aneurysms, and carpal tunnel syndrome,” he says. “The nurses in the Intensive Care Unit at DCMH were essentially my house staff, and they were excellent. I was always comfortable doing work here, knowing they were attending to my patients.”
After establishing his practice, Dr. Haft assumed numerous leadership positions, serving as the vice president and later president of the DCMH Medical Staff, a member of the hospital’s Board of Trustees, and president of the Medical Executive Committee. He was also the chairman of the DCMH Medical-Bioethics, Operating Room, Bylaws, Quality Review and Risk Management committees, and served as a member of the Credentialing Committee. He developed the Resource Utilization Committee and was a member of many CKHS committees.
“I was anxious to give something back to DCMH, and later, to Crozer-Keystone (which was formed in 1990),” Dr. Haft says. “I felt I owed a lot to the hospital for providing me a place to bring my patients, as well as the nurses and ancillary staff I needed to care for them.”
Dr. Haft was named vice president of Medical Affairs on Oct. 30, 1989. “The position was a relatively new one that many hospitals began implementing in the 1980s,” he says. “My main role has been to act as a liaison between medical staff and administrators. I had the opportunity to go to as many departmental and committee meetings as I could, to explain the administrative workings of the hospital while understanding the physician point of view. It was all very rewarding.”
In addition to his duties as vice president of Medical Affairs, Dr. Haft enjoyed a close relationship with the staff, often mailing news articles dealing with current medical events to his colleagues.
“My office door has always been open to anyone who wants to come in and discuss any matter,” he says. “The advantage for me was having a previous relationship with most of the physicians at DCMH. I wasn’t a stranger, and I worked well with everyone.”
Among Dr. Haft’s most vivid memories is the merger between DCMH and Crozer-Chester Medical Center that created Crozer-Keystone Health System in 1990.
“When I took the job, there was no Crozer-Keystone Health System,” he says. “It was interesting to be a part of the fusion between the two hospitals and to work with the medical staff to ensure a smooth union. It’s very gratifying to see that the merger worked out so incredibly well.”
“Through the years, Dr. Haft has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Delaware County Memorial Hospital and Crozer-Keystone Health System,” says William McCune, chief operating officer of Delaware County Memorial Hospital and CKHS vice president. “We are deeply grateful for his many years of service and his dedication to his patients, his fellow physicians and the entire staff here at DCMH. We thank him for his significant contributions to Crozer-Keystone and wish him well in his new endeavors.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Haft served as a professor and clinical instructor at various institutions, including the University of Minnesota, State University of New York, Hahnemann University and Jefferson University. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and a member of the American College of Physician Executives, American College of Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Pennsylvania Neurological Society, American Medical Association and other national organizations. He is the author or senior author of dozens of published works.
After retiring from his position in Medical Affairs, Dr. Haft plans to provide clinical consultation to the Delaware County Regional Cancer Center at DCMH. He will maintain an office on the DCMH campus.
Succeeding Dr. Haft as vice president for Medical Affairs will be Joan Waller, M.D., former chief of the Section of Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine at DCMH.
“I’ve known Dr. Waller for many years, and she is a dynamic and bright physician,” Dr. Haft says. “I’m sure the transition will be smooth and she will do an outstanding job. She is an excellent choice.”
In retirement, Dr. Haft plans to spend time with his wife of 56 years, Virginia Haft, their two children and grandchild. He also plans to audit history courses at local colleges, read and play tennis.