Getting to know West Milford Dr. Lisa Joseph is in the “family business.” She, her father and her grandfather all chose to practice medicine. In May she opened her office in Bald Eagle Square, making her the newest member of West Milford’s medical community. Joseph’s family emigrated from India in the 1960s. She grew up in Kingston, N.Y., and later attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. From there she went on to medical school at St. Louis University in Missouri, where she also completed her residency. While in St. Louis Joseph met Thomas and they wed after her first year in medical school. The couple, now married for 18 years, have a 12-year-old son and they recently adopted a two-year-old girl from India. Probably understating the case, Joseph said that having her son during her residency proved to be very hectic. To be closer to their families who live on the east coast, the couple decided to move back to the area. They currently reside in Morris County. Joseph has been in practice since 1998. She worked in St. Clare’s Hospital in Dover as director of the adult clinic for eight years. “When I was there we provided health care to patients without insurance. It was a very gratifying experience and I learned a lot about patient’s needs and what is deficient in the health care system,” she said. Now employed by the Bon Secours Charity Health System, she practices internal medicine - treating adults age 18 and above - and is affiliated with St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, N.Y. While the Bon Secours name may be a bit confusing, it came about as a result of a merger between the Sisters of Bon Secours and the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth. Under the Bon Secours umbrella are three area hospitals - Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, and St. Anthony Community Hospital. “Bon Secours set me up in practice in West Milford because there are not many primary care physicians in West Milford and there is a demand,” she said. In her practice Joseph said that along with comprehensive examinations she also includes routine gynecological care. Lab work is done on site, all major insurance is accepted and she is available for evening appointments. As many working women experience, balancing family and career can be difficult. “As a doctor you never know what’s going to happen. There’s no way to know when you’re going to get home,” she said. While her family background may have influenced her decision to become a physician, she always knew she would choose a profession that helps others - a career that would leave her satisfied at the end of the day. She enjoys the interaction she has with her patients and treasures the relationships she has with them, she said. Driving into West Milford each day, Joseph enjoys the rural beauty of the town. She has been getting out and meeting local people and hopes to set up some talks in town and get more involved in the community. Volunteer work figures into her life, as well. She works with a food pantry in Morris County, delivering groceries to the elderly. She takes her son with her, hoping he will learn from her example. She has also been a UNICEF volunteer for years. She enjoys supporting different causes by e-mailing congressmen. “It really makes a difference if you contact your local representatives and give them your opinion,” she said. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her children, gardening and cooking. She also likes to walk, the safest form of exercise, she said. Although she does a lot of Indian cooking she considered the amount of condiments involved in such ethnic dishes and decided to send in a recipe that she makes every fall, especially after a day of apple picking with the family.
Apple Cake 1-1/4 cups oil 1 tsp. salt 2 cups sugar 3 cups flour 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda 1 cup white raisins (optional) 1 tsp. cinnamon 3 cups diced apple 1 cup pecans Cream oil, sugar and eggs. Add baking soda, salt, flour and cinnamon, which have been sift together Fold in apples, nuts, raisins and vanilla (the batter will be thick and sticky) Put mixture into 2 ungreased loaf pans Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Test to be sure it’s done before removing from oven.