Reader's Choice: Cranford Family Practice Takes Top Honors in Pediatrician Poll

on North Union Avenue was voted the top pediatric office in Cranford, but according to the medical and staff members that run the office, CFP serves all generations of patients.

"We are the first point of contact for patients. We are the primary person that they see, so we try to make sure we're accessible and available," Robert Eidus, MD, said, explaining the concept behind being a "family practice."

The medical practice earned 21 percent of the votes in the week-long poll.

Eidus, a board certified family physician who received his medical degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, completed a residency in Family Medicine at Overlook Hospital, Summit. In 1996, he received an MBA degree from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois.

According to Eidus, Cranford Family Practice has been around for a decade. They were established in Cranford in 2002, and have served not only the children of the township and surrounding municipalities, but their parents and grandparents as well.

"We're a family practice so we see the whole spectrum - parents, children, grandparents. In some cases, we have four generations of people that come here, so we get to know the whole family," Nurse Practitioner Dawn Howell said.

Howell said one of the keys to the success of the practice is the fact that the doctor, nurse, medical and office staff communicate very well with their patients.

"We do a good job of communicating with our families," said Howell, who has been with CFP for four years.

According toe the CFP website, the goal of the company is to "provide comprehensive, holistic care to our patients by acting as a central hub of each patient's healthcare experience. Successful care is achieved by maintaining an ongoing relationship with our highly-qualified healthcare providers to help navigate the complex medical community..following the Patient Centered Medical Home Model.

One of the newest services offered by the medical practice gives patients the capability to access their medical records directly online and to request refills, appointments, and lab results via the Cranford Family Practice Patient Portal.

In addition to expanding their online service CFP is also expanding the actual facility. This is the second upgrade to the medical office, according to Office Manager Lauren Shub.

"There's just such a sense of community here," Shub said of the practice.

Cranford Family Practice is located at 123 North Union Ave. Their office hours are: Monday from 8:30 to 5 p.m.; Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday from 8 a.m. to noon; Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridat from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, the hours vary.