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.

Queens Babies Dominate New Year

From The Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

Queens parents are boasting their first born babies as the city's first of 2011.

Two families that call the borough home have given birth to the first babies born in the city this year.

In a special moment, which the family already believed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them all, the Wong family (pictured above) of Fresh Meadows welcomed Selina as the New Year's first girl.

Entering the world at one minute into the New Year, the 7-lbs, 12-oz, bundle of joy greeted her proud parents for the first time as the borough celebrated a new decade.

After checking into New York Hospital Queens at around 9 a.m. on Dec. 31, parents Richard and Ting Li spent just more than 15 hours in the delivery room awaiting their first baby.

Despite the exhaustive natural delivery, both parents retained enough energy to express their excitement after sharing an "unbelievable" experience together.

"I never thought I would have one of the first babies of the New Year," said Ting Li, who originally hails from South China.

More than eight miles away, in Manhattan, Maspeth parents embraced, possibly what may be Queens' first resident born in 2011. Born 57 seconds after the clock struck midnight, Jacek and Marta Kozlowski, welcomed Kacper, the city's first-born baby boy as New Year's revelers kissed 2011 into existence.

Originally due Dec. 30, Marta began to grow worried as it took several days for the city's sanitation plows to reach their family's street after last weeks blizzard paralyzed the city with 20 inches of snow. Nonetheless, the 7-lbs., 14-oz., little "treasure" held on, deciding to reveal himself during the city's New Year's celebration.

Nervously awaiting the arrival of his son as he watched the clock, Kacper's father waited outside the delivery room wondering what year his son would be born in.

"I waiting outside and I was so nervous and I looking at the watch and what's going on - is it going to be 2010 or 2011?" said the new father.

No matter when it happened, the experience was amazing either way, Marta said.

"All the attention makes it more exciting and surreal," the proud mom said. "It wasn't up to me. Things happen for a reason and it sort of happened like this."

All It Takes Is A Vote And A Dream

From The Queens Tribune: By Jason Banrey

Lucia Allain always dreamed of finishing school, traveling the world and becoming a well-known news anchor for CNN. She had no doubt that she would attend college and become the first girl on her mother’s side to obtain a degree. But at a young age when Allain asked if she could go visit her father back in Peru, her mother revealed a secret, exposing the reality of how difficult it may be to achieve her dream.

In 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 46 percent of Queens County residents were foreign born, some of whom are undocumented immigrants. As an undocumented immigrant herself, Allain is one of a large number of foreign-born residents seeking to attended college and start a career in America.

Allain’s dream is now on hold as she awaits approval of the DREAM Act, legislation that would provide a path towards citizenship for illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children by their parents.

Allain’s family came to the U.S. in 2002 from Lima, Peru. In search of economic opportunity and a better quality of life, they moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan and later settled in Corona.

Although Allain’s elementary school did not provide her with ESL classes, she learned English within six months, primarily on her own. Before graduating from high school, Allain quickly adapted to her new home and became active in her community. Recently she won the Outstanding Community Leadership Award from the Mexican American Student Alliance for helping inform Queens residents about the importance of filling out 2010 Census forms in Jackson Heights.

Allain’s interest in journalism was sparked after visiting CNN’s offices in Manhattan. When the opportunity of an internship with the broadcast company came up, she applied. Due to her immigration status, Allain was turned down for the position and was devastated. Despite the missed opportunity, she did not put an end to pursuing a career in journalism.

Allain postponed enrolling into Queensborough Community College this fall to help her mother. By contributing the money she earns as a babysitter, one of the only occupations she could obtain due to her status, she helps pay the bills and buy groceries while saving money for enrollment in January.

Although Allain’s dream of becoming a news anchor may be on hold, she is optimistic that the DREAM Act will pass, erasing the one obstacle that stands in her way of achieving a successful career in journalism.

Despite Allain’s status, she continues to exercise her right to voice her opinions, as she prepared for a trip to Washington D.C. to rally support, with other “Dreamers,” for the DREAM Act.

“The fact that I’m undocumented doesn’t mean I sit around and do nothing,” said Allain. “[My status] makes me stronger. I am able to head out and meet with my peers and have a say in the democratic process.”

Like Allain, many other immigrant students from Queens headed to Washington D.C. to advocate for the passage of the DREAM Act.

DREAM Act. Kevin Kang, Youth Organizer for MinKwon Center for Community Action in Flushing, knows if Dreamers’ voices are heard, legislation will become law.

“The reason why the legislation made it through the Senate is because young people are stepping up and sharing their stories,” said Kang.

Although he is an American citizen himself, Kang became involved after realizing how much the immigration legislation would affect not only his friends but many of the people in his neighborhood.

“I once took my citizenship for granted. I didn’t see the benefits of being an American citizen,” said Kang. “There are students out there who want more for themselves.”

Kang now works with high school students who want to attend college and see the passage of the DREAM Act as the only obstacle standing between them and a career in a country they have always called home.

When it comes to passing the DREAM Act, “it’s a matter of doing what’s right,” said Kang. “Students are ready to serve.”

Boardin' Brooklyn style

A Saturday afternoon stroll through Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, reveals you don't need a snowy ski resort to break it down with a board.

Origin of the iPod

In an age when portable media players are readily available, we sometimes forget where these costly and convenient devices began. The iPod evolved from a simple music playing device to a gadget that now also offers video to users who chose to have this option. The introduction of the Nook Color will - eventually - make paper obsolete, potentially saving the earth from choking to death on CO2 and all the other contaminants we spew into the atmosphere which -supposedly- are killing our planet.
Before many of these futuristic, user-friendly, handheld devices came to exist their clunky, and not so user-friendly family gave us entertainment while unknowingly inconveniencing us. Before the walkman, walked with us, the monstrous boom box stereo dominated the airwaves on corners throughout our city, bringing the beat to the street.
One hip brother could be credited with the invention of the walkman and that person is my father. According to him he is the sole creator of the idea which later materialized the walkman which eventually became the iPod.
As a cycling enthusiast, he circled miles of pavement throughout New York. From Brownsville to Bear Mountain his two tires and long legs took him to and fro. Although he enjoyed his daily journeys, taking in all he could as he zoomed from location to location, he found one thing was missing - good tunes.
In the early 70s it was impossible for someone to portably take music along with them when they ventured out of their households or workplaces. Then all of a sudden, as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, my father was jolted with an idea. By bringing the strength and functionality of a book bag together with his own stereo boom box, he developed the beginnings of what would become today’s generation’s portable media device. Together with a pair of headphones that was all he needed. This ingenious idea - first of it’s kind, to my knowledge- changed the game of “handheld” music.
Rolling through neighborhoods with a “box of boom” stuffed into a small sack over his shoulders my old man revolutionize technology without thinking much of it. Keeping his new found discovery to himself and his friends they rode the streets of Brooklyn, ears stuffed with audio buds, taking in the view without a care in the world.
Making it happen without knowing what was to develop next for generations to come. Thanks Dad. Only if you worked for Sony back then, I wouldn’t have to worry about my student loan.

Blizzard of 2010

In one week we’ve traded piles of white fluffy snow for tons of smelly old garbage. Littering sidewalks, front yards, street corners and subway platforms the city’s trash has piled at least three feet high in some areas throughout the five boroughs following the cancellation of garbage pick-ups due to the blizzard of 2010.

With city sanitation workers working serious overtime throughout the week, snow removal became a high priority after the Bloomberg’s administrations failure to keep the New York City from becoming completely submerged after experiencing it’s sixth worst snow storm in history.

Paralyzing city services and bringing all forms of transportation to a stand still some New Yorkers did not enjoy the winter wonderland as much as they would have liked to. In Queens, a family lost their six month old son after emergency services found their vehicle stuck on a block that was poorly plowed two days after the storm hit. In a last effort to save the baby’s life, the emergency service personnel carried the baby, sprinting to the hospital that was only 30 yards away only to find themselves too late. Also in the borough, two fires broke out with fire apparatus not finding themselves able to reach distressed residents who were losing property because snow clogged their ‘tertiary” streets.

In areas in Brooklyn, some residents did not see a plow come down their streets till mid-day Thursday, leaving them to wonder how would they ever get to medical appointments. Bicycle riders found themselves clear paths in other areas of the Brooklyn after sanitation made plowing bicycle lanes a high priority. But not all of us live in Brooklyn or even own a bicycle.

After reports emerged that sanitation union officials allegedly told workers to delay their efforts when plowing through some areas in Brooklyn and Queens it added insult to many injuries and lost lives that came indirectly as a result of the blizzard of 2010. Although no one officially lost their life because of the blizzard, the storm has taken a toll on some New Yorkers and they will never forget it.

In the many years that I’ve lived in this great city I have never seen it come to a grinding halt as it did last week. Two days after the storm hit, people awoke to city blocks that were still clogged with slush, wondering why plows were stuck and why they were passing their street.

The city’s response was completely inadequate, too little and too late. Some say it was a freak act of nature and that it is difficult to prepare and address a rapid paced snow storm but I don’t believe that one bit. We had the resources and enough time to tackle the storm as it intensified but city officials and the Bloomberg administration dropped the ball. After a city review analyzes the administrations response to the snowstorm it isn’t clear weather or not we will find answers as to why it took so long to dig ourselves out of that snowy situation. Nonetheless, heads will roll and many are bound to lose their jobs over this.

Last week’s scenario will probably never happen again and those snow day freebies will probably be our last for a long time. Even though the site of snow may make you sick by now, how does it compare to the garbage that has piled up around us? The blizzard of 2010 may have disrupted a couple of lives but the mounds of garbage did save one. After a man tried to commit suicide by jumping out of his midtown Manhattan apartment he awoke to find himself covered in trash (possibly his own) after falling nine stories.

Last week it was the snow that was everywhere, this weeks it’s the garbage. What does the first week on the new year have in store for us?

Happy New Year!