Official Guide to Queens Health

Despite losing four hospitals in recent years, Queens is still renowned for its top of the line health care facilities and services. Within this Official Guide to Queens Health you will find everything you need within the borough, if ever there is a moment that calls for it.

From hospitals to Mammography Facilities and Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities to Long Term Home Health Care Facilities, it's got it all.

Seniors Decry Loss Of Botanical Home

From The Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

Seniors who enjoy the use of Queens Botanical Garden for planting vegetables and flowers believe they are being “financially extorted,” after being told they will now have to pay $150 for plots that were always free.

“This is financial extortion,” said Joseph Siegel, 71, of Forest Hills, who has been a member of the Senior Garden for a decade and helped construct the plots.

In January, QBG notified Senior Garden members of the introduction of the annual fee to use plots which were free to them for 45 years.

In addition to the new fee, seniors will also have to pay a membership fee which increased from $30 to $45 as well as $1 for parking each time they use the garden’s lot.

Siegel refuses to pay the combination of fees that he says will amount to over $200 a year just to utilize the garden’s facilities.

After finding out about the new costs, Siegel declined to extend his membership at the garden and called the QBG’s decision to increase fees “illegal.”

QBG Executive Director Susan Lacerte calls the introduction of an annual fee for plots and the increase in the cost of membership fair, especially during a time when the garden has seen their budget fall from $3.2 million to $2.9 million.

“We’ve been making salary cuts, imposing furloughs on our own staff,” said Lacerte. “Seniors aren’t the only ones feeling the effects of our financial woes.”

Lacerte has worked with members of the Senior Garden for 16 years, subsidizing the private group and, in collaboration with seniors, trying to develop fundraisers to alleviate QBG’s financial woes.

Over the years the garden has not been able to keep up with city and state budget cuts and began to charge visitors and members under an agreement with the city, an authority they have as a non-profit group.

Lacerte stressed that Senior Garden members still have options that will help them pay for the annual fees and urged them to take advantage of them.

In exchange for volunteering four hours a week from April 1 to June 30 as a greeter, seniors will receive a reduced rate of $50 instead of $150. Seniors can also apply for a scholarship established by the garden to help pay their annual fees.

Although the Senior Garden will be phased out over the next year, QBG Deputy Director Patty Kleinberg said seniors are more than welcome to join the Family Garden, which will debut in 2012.

Ultimately, the Garden is not trying to get rid of seniors, added Kleinberg, but rather is trying to expand the use of the garden to a broader range of people in the community.

“Since QBG funding has been cut from 40 to 50 percent since 2000, we have had to learn to survive on our own,” said Kleinberg. “We’ve been getting requests about having access to the land from various community groups.”

Kleinberg also asserted that once QBG transitions the Senior Garden into the Family Garden, the non-profit group will be eligible for various additional federal grants that will help it develop programs for more members of the community.

Despite the open invitation to be apart of the Family Garden, many senior members says they will not be able to meet QBG financial demands.

“A lot of us come from modest financial backgrounds,” said Senior Garden Chairman Alfred Rosenblatt, 73. “This is their way of trying to get rid of us.”

On several occasions over the years, seniors have helped provide the garden with donations of money, time and equipment.

After last year’s tornado destroyed a substantial swath of the foliage in the garden, members pulled together more than $1,000 said Lola McLinden, 91, former chairwoman of the senior garden for almost 10 years.

“They’ve always put pressure on us to raise money,” said McLinden. “This is an act of desperation and they’re not going to get any more money out of us.”

McLinden will stay on at the Senior Garden for its final year and pay $195, the combination of the membership and fee for her plot, a luxury only a few seniors can afford.

“It’s insulting in a way,” said McLinden. “We use to be a program that was considered an asset to QBG now some of us will never be here again.”

Locals Mourn Loss Of Sunny Kellerman

From The Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

Area residents are mourning the loss of a dedicated resident, community activist and a voice of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Sunny Kellerman, 84, died in January after dedicating the last decade of her life to
the community she actively served and with which was so closely involved.

Serving as the Chamber's office manager and outreach representative, Kellerman interacted with local businesses.

Known to some shopkeepers as "the ladywith the big sunglasses," Kellerman had her own style and a spirited attitude that helped get the job done.

More than 15 years ago, Kellerman's feisty character helped rid Forest Hills of an exotic establishment that had neighborhood residents hot and bothered.

After spearheading a 2-1/2-month campaign to close the neighborhood's all-nude strip club, Runway 69, Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) recalls Kellerman standing by her side at many community protests.

"She was there no matter what," said Koslowitz. "Rain or shine she was there protesting. She was very committed to the cause."

After noticing Kellerman's dedication to the community, Koslowitz helped her get a job at the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce in 1994 - where she stayed until her death.

"She will be sorely missed in the community," said Koslowitz. "We thank her for all the work she's done throughout the years."

Leslie Brown, President of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, knew Kellerman for more than 15 years. Brown spent all of her years at the Chamber working with Kellerman, addressing the needs of its members.

"Sunny was my right hand," said Brown. "She was the day-to-day voice of the Chamber. When you called us, it was she who pointed you in the right direction."

Kellerman's vast knowledge of the community, past and present, surpassed any
search engine that contained information about Forest Hills, said Brown.

"She didn't use the computer much," said Brown. "She had all the information about the neighborhood in her head."

Kellerman's untimely death came as a shock to some community residents.

Frank Gulluscio, District Manager of Community Board 6, admired the motivation she emanated while serving under her post at the Chamber.

"She was always there and effervescent," said Gulluscio. "This loss was a surprise to us. We can't believe it."

'Never Give Up' Attitude May Help

From the Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

The "third time's the charm" is not the encouraging cliché one Forest Hills rower wants to hear before making his final attempt at crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Once again, Victor Mooney (pictured right) is putting his oars to the test and preparing to row across the pond to increase HIV/AIDS awareness.

"I have a divine mission to fulfill," said Mooney as stared ahead, focusing on his row machine repetitions in Rego Park. "Up until there's a cure, there's no time to give up."

Compelled to raise awareness about the deadly disease after his brother died of AIDS in 1983, Mooney choose his childhood passion of rowing to highlight the cause.

In commemoration of Black History Month, Mooney will set off on a 5,000-mile trek, tracing the "Middle Passage," the transatlantic slave trade route which transported enslaved Africans from Western and Central Africa to the Caribbean and the colonies of the New World.

Despite his chosen month for departure, the 45-year-old father of four stresses this awareness is not limited to just African Americans.

According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), more than over 33 million people worldwide were living with the virus in 2009.

Mooney will begin his journey from the Cape Verde Islands and propel his way west to the Caribbean, then heading north up the eastern seaboard, hoping to end at the Brooklyn Bridge.

"I'm not fearful of the journey," said Mooney. "Being alone on the ocean is like being in the womb of my mother. It's comforting."

After two previous failed attempts, Mooney believes the alterations made to his boat, the aptly-named "Never Give Up," will successfully land him in the East River within six to eight months.

His state-of-the-art carbon-fiber rowboat is fully kitted and equipped with a water purification system, solar panels, a wind turbine and a high-tech offshore GPS navigation system which will direct him back home to Queens.

If Mooney successfully completes the journey, he will be the first African American to ever achieve the solo cross-Atlantic feat.

Mooney is scheduled to begin his journey in the middle of February and leaves for the Cape Verde Islands this Sunday.

Readers interested in following Mooney's progress live or sponsoring his challenging mission can go to Goreechallenge.com.

Weiner Defends Healthcare Bill

From The Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

Marisa Bearak, 22, of Bellerose is looking to make a smooth transition between adolescence and adulthood.

Fearful of that transition being affected by a repeal of the historic health reform law, Bearak is now scared she may find herself among 385,000 uninsured Queens residents that would be prevented from receiving basic health insurance options if House Republicans have their way.

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Kew Gardens) released, a report outlining the impact the Republicans proposal to repeal the law would have on the borough.

Standing outside former Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills, Weiner stood with Bearak and criticized GOP efforts that would also leave nearly 8,000 young adults between the ages of 19-25 without affordable health insurance.

In January, House Republicans voted overwhelmingly along party lines to repeal the 10-month-old law, keeping a campaign promise that landed them in the majority last November.

After graduating from college last May, Bearak became ineligible to receive coverage under her parents' health insurance plan.

Awaiting low-cost health insurance options to become effective under the health care reform law this April, Bearak now finds herself in limbo.

"Although I am fortunate to have parents that can afford to pay for care that I [may] need, they're bearing the burden," said Bearak. "It doesn't seem fair."

Weiner believes the health care reform law is a rational way to pay for health care and eagerly suggested reopening the debate on the issue to re-educate Republicans about its financial benefits.

"It is an opportunity for us to take stock of exactly what this law, which is widely misunderstood by some of our neighbors, mean to Queens and mean in New York," Weiner said. "In the county of Queens, it would mean that nearly 400,000 people -385,000 residents of Queens - who are getting health insurance as a result of this program, will not get it."

Weiner also said Republican efforts "would bite the Big Apple," saddling the city with more than $3 billion in health care expenses over 10 years. Under the health care reform, the Medicaid Expansion Program would alleviate those costs according to the New York City Office of Management and Budget.

It is unlikely the Republican battle will make its way past the Democratic controlled Senate, whose leaders have said they will not engage in repealing the legislation. A federal district court in Florida overturned the law this week, setting the stage for a Supreme Court showdown on the constitutionality of the bill.

Centenarian Looks Back At Her Years

From The Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

Farmland dominated Briarwood when Beatrice Killian moved into the neighborhood in 1944. Leaving the growing metropolis of Manhattan, Killian chose the green pastures of Queens and never left.

For almost seven decades she witnessed the evolution of the area, watching apartment buildings rise above her three-story home, bringing life and company to the once rural area she calls home.

"The community has changed," said Killian. "But Queens is still alright."

Celebrating her 100th birthday at the beginning of the month, Killian enjoyed the festivities with family and friends who came to celebrate her once-in-a-lifetime milestone.

Born to Czech immigrants in 1911, Killian is the eldest surviving child of seven. Raised in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Killian became an office administrator, taking in the pleasures of life during a time she calls the "good ol' days," before having her only son, Ed.

In an age when many families seem to find it easy to part with their aging relatives, putting them into nursing homes, Killian's son believes he owes it to himself and his mother to be there for her now more than ever.

"She took care of me since I was a baby," Killian's son said. "Now I feel it's time for me to take care of her. I can never let her go."

Their relationship has matured over time and Killian could not imagine spending her time with anyone else.

"I'm fortunate to have my son," said Killian as she smiled, adoringly looking over at her son. "I couldn't have a better son, believe it or not."

Killian believes there is no secret to aging gracefully and stresses that today's youth should get the most of life while they can.

"I went along in life like everyone else," said Killian. "Before I knew it I got old."

Despite suffering from minor illnesses, Killian looks forward to getting out in warmer weather and having a meal at her family favorite Czech restaurant in Astoria.

Although her doctor holds her to a strict diet, Killian will make the most of her once-in-a-while dining experience, enjoying herself, devouring what she wishes.

Killian's advice for the internet generation: "Unplug yourselves and enjoy everything life has to offer. Because before you know it you'll be old."

Vallone Credits Council For Better Snow Plan

From The Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

Last week's nine-inch snow storm didn't hold a candle to the paralyzing Dec. 26 blizzard that shut down the city, leaving many areas of Queens inaccessible.

Last Wednesday, the day after the City Council's seven and a half hour Blizzard Response Hearing, Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) met with Mayor Mike Bloomberg in Astoria. Vallone had been one of the first from the Council to yell about the slow or non-existent snow removal from the blizzard, announcing on Facebook the day the storm ended that it was clear no plows had been out in his district.

This time around, the snow was cleaned up in a timely manner.

The meeting was Vallone's first opportunity to address Bloomberg face-to-face since the blizzard, and he pointed out the visible black top along Steinway Street. Vallone said it was a remarkable difference from how the Bloomberg administration handled the December blizzard cleanup.

"This is what we expect," Vallone said. "[The Bloomberg administration] learned from its mistakes."

Vallone believes the City Council's swift grilling of city agencies and the Mayor's administration played a major role in getting to the bottom of why the city's response was so poor.

Bloomberg touted the success of his administration's swift and efficient effort in cleaning up last week's more minor frosting.

"Each time we'll get better and better," said Bloomberg. "You can always do a better job."

Though not everyone who saw the mayor in Astoria last week was as full of praise for the city's clean-up effort, they seemed to agree that it was an improvement.

"This time they had a sense of urgency," said Marc Witz, as he waited for the Q69 which never showed Dec. 26.

"You can't compare the two storms," said Ashley Meizlik. "But this time the streets were plowed, buses showed up and were on time." Borough residents will be able to share their snow-related concerns and voice their opinions at a public hearing at noon Friday, Jan. 21, in Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd.