Andrew Balysky, OD, has received the Lawrence T. Taft Award, given to Matheny Medical and Educational Center medical staff members who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to serving its patient population. Dr. Balysky, whose private practice is located in Chester, is a consultant in optometry at Matheny, a special hospital and educational facility in Peapack for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

The late Dr. Lawrence Taft was a member of the Matheny medical staff for 13 years. He helped establish the field of neurodevelopmental pediatrics and, as the first chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical School, was a founder of the Institute for the Study of Child Development. He was a recipient of the University Excellence Award "for demonstrating a high level of achievement and recognition by his peers for patient care."