Seaford Herald Citizen

Seaford

HERALD Citizen

Vikings sign letters of intent

Teachers, children say farewells

MacArthur actors take prizes

Page 8

Page 10

Page 15

VOL. 68 NO. 24

JUNE 11 - 17, 2020

Congressional hopefuls discuss protests By J.D. FREDA jfreda@liherald.com

Christina Daly/Herald-Citizen

Coming together, voices raised Hundreds of people from across Nassau County gathered in front of Hempstead Town Hall last Friday, joining the nationwide chorus of protest of racial injustice, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

In the past week, many Long Islanders have taken to the streets to protest police brutality and systemic racism and to honor the life of George Floyd. While many reiterate the importance of voting and have encouraged others to register, local candidates are also listening to the concerns of their prospective constituents. All four hopefuls for the seat in New York’s 2nd Congressional District spoke with the Herald about the Black Lives Matter protests ahead of the June 23 primary.

“The death of George Floyd was a heinous act,” said Republican State Assemblyman Mike LiPetri. “There have been peaceful protests, and that’s great. However, we cannot be [painting with] a broad brush against all law enforcement.” LiPetri spoke about the impact the police have on people’s everyday lives. Police officers, community leaders and citizens agree that the actions of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were “evil,” LiPetri said, and everyone can unite around peaceful protest. “As a result of the outcry, protests occurred,” he said. “ProCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Local physical therapy practice is Long Island’s ‘Best’ By TIMOTHY DENTON tdenton@liherald.com

Even in the midst of a global pandemic, milestones are celebrated. The almost daily stream of car parades to mark birthdays, anniversaries and graduations bear witness to the desire to revel, despite the grim conditions. So it was hardly surprising that NY Physical Therapy & Wellness marked two occasions last week: the 20th anniversary of the organization’s founding, and its selection as a winner in Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s annual “Best of Long Island” competition. The awards, presented for the

past 15 years, are among the area’s most coveted. NYPT’s selection means that many clients and patients view the organization as the No. 1 choice for physical therapy. N Y P T h a s 1 0 l o c at i o n s throughout Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties, including one each in Seaford and Wantagh, and employs more than 100 people. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ronald Bredow said he attributed the practice’s success to “building strong relationships between patients and their therapist-coaches.” The result, he added, has been “high patient retention [and] a high number of

positive online patient reviews, new friends and family referrals.” According to Bredow, patient referral has been the most significant driver of the practice’s growth. Classified as an essential business, NYPT’s offices have remained open throughout the coronavirus crisis. But the majority of physical therapy sessions have taken place remotely, in the form of telemedicine. “Before the crisis, telemed wasn’t a large part of the way we treated patients,” Bredow acknowledged. “People tend to think of PT as strictly hands-on. But we can tell a tremendous amount about a patient’s condi-

tion just by watching how they move as they describe their symptoms to us, or even by their tone of voice.” Bredow was enthusiastic about the way the crisis has led to an expansion of telemedicine as a treatment option. “A lot of what we do can be done equally effectively via telemed,” he said. “It’s often better for the patients,

because they don’t have to spend time coming in or waiting to see a therapist.” This is especially true for elderly patients, he said. And some assessments, like range of motion, are easily done remotely. “In many cases, it’s better for us, too, because we can help more patients,” he said. Bredow, 48, described one CONTINUED ON PAGE 15