Obituary of Harvey A. Holzberg

Mr. Harvey Holzberg, 76, died on Tuesday April 1, 2014 at Stonebridge at Montgomery in Skillman, NJ with his family by his side. Mr. Holzberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to New Jersey in 1986. After serving four years in the United States Marine Corps, he earned a bachelor's degree from New York University, and a master's degree in business administration from the Bernard Baruch School of the City University of New York. Mr. Holzberg was the former President and CEO and President Emeritus of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, serving from 1989 to 2009. Throughout his forty year career, he earned a reputation as a hospital administrator who engineered the transformation of struggling hospitals into thriving institutions. He was a champion of marrying academic medicine and clinical excellence. Mr. Holzberg was also proud of his tenure as Senior Vice President of Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, where, under his mentor George Adams' tenure, they increased community access to quality health care by developing the Sunset Park Family Health Center, the nation's largest federally qualified health center. Mr. Holzberg was a Fellow of The American College of Health Care Executives. As chairman of the National Council of Teaching Hospitals, he served on the Executive Council of the Association of American Medical Colleges. He was also Chairman of the University of Medicine and Dentistry Board of Trustees. He was also a founder and past President of the National Association of Community Health Centers and the New York Association of Ambulatory Care Centers. A noted expert and published author, Mr. Holzberg was an adjunct professor of UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School's Department of Environmental and Community and Medicine. He also served on the adjunct faculties of New York University and Manhattan College. Mr. Holzberg was the recipient of many awards during his career including the Medical Executive Award of the Academy of Medicine of New Jersey, the Israel Peace Medal-State of Israel Bonds, Distinguished Service Award-Melvin H. Motolinsky Research Foundation and the Torch of Liberty of the Anti-Defamation League. Mr. Holzberg played golf, mostly as an excuse to smoke the occasional cigar and enjoy the 19th hole. His real passion, however, was skiing. He started skiing at the age of 50 as a way of spending time with his family on the weekends. He skied at almost every ski resort in the western United States, but his favorite place was his home at Windham Mountain, New York. Skiing with his children, grandchildren and friends was his greatest joy. He was predeceased by his parents Julius and Dorothy Holzberg, and his son Eric S. Holzberg. He is survived by his wife Janice Chiantese, son Dr. Adam S. Holzberg and his wife Dr. Michelle Salvatore of Moorestown, NJ, daughter-in-law Agnes Holzberg of Eastchester, NY and step-daughter Christie Chiantese and her husband Dale Pinchot of Yardley, PA. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Andrew, Olivia and Grace, Sasha, Andrei and Alexei, Lily, Gabriella and Trent and, sister and brother-in-law Arlene and Irwin Stein. Visitation will be Friday April 4, 2014 from 10am-1pm at the M. David DeMarco Funeral Home – 205 Rhode Hall Rd., Monroe Twp, NJ 08831 – 732-521-0555. Funeral services will begin at 1pm at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Fernwood Cemetery – Jamesburg. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation, 150 New Providence Road, Mountainside, NJ 07092 Phone 908 301-5410 www.childrens-specialized.org.