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All the news of the Five Towns
brand-new lift at the library
stone in the library’s ongoing commitment to accessibility and service for the communiAfter nearly nine months ty,” board of trustees President without elevator service, the Akiva Lubin said. “Everybody Peninsula Public Library is can be proud of it.” The library’s previous elevaonce again fully accessible, celebrating the completion of a tor, which had operated for decades, was taken state-of-the-art eleout of service last vator that library October, when it officials say will had deteriorated to better serve the point where it patrons of all ages was no longer reliand abilities for able. Replacement decades to come. parts had become Library trustees, increasingly diffistaff and Lawrence cult to obtain, Mayor Samuel Nahwhich made it clear mias gathered on to trustees that conJuly 16 for a ribtinued repairs no bon-cutting cerelonger made sense, mony marking the and a comprehencompletion of the sive modernization $184,000 modernizawas the only option. tion project. The AkIVA LuBIN “We redid the elevator h a d Board president, entire electrical returned to service Peninsula Public system,” Lubin on July 10 after Library said. “It was much receiving final more extensive approvals. For the library, which circu- than just the elevator. Everylates more than 2,000 books thing was so antiquated. We each week and hosts dozens of had all the codes changed, and programs for children, teens we had to upgrade a lot of and adults, restoring elevator things in order to get the elevaaccess represented far more tor up to current standards.” The project includes entirely than a building improvement. “This is an important mileConTInuED on PAGE 9
By MELISSA BERMAN
mberman@liherald.com
Courtesy Episcopal Health Services
The EHS team includes, from left, Dr. Karina Appel, internal medicine and primary care physician and associate director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program; Dr. Ravi Gupta, chair, Department of Medicine; Dr. Zubin Tharayil, internal medicine physician and director of internal medicine residency; and Dr. Yating Lee, internal medicine and primary care physician.
Primary care takes center stage at Episcopal Health Services By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
For many residents of the Five Towns, Far Rockaway and the surrounding peninsula communities, a visit to a doctor often comes only after a health problem has become more serious. Physicians at Episcopal Health Services hope to change that by expanding access to primary care and encouraging patients to seek routine preventive care before chronic illnesses lead to emergencies. The health system, which serves the Rockaway Peninsula and neighboring communities, has expanded primary care services at the new Walsh Ambulatory Pavilion while recruiting additional physicians and strengthening connections to specialists.
Hospital leaders emphasized that the goal is to make it easier for residents to receive comprehensive care close to home. “Primary care is really about preventing illness before it becomes something much more serious,” said Dr. Ravi Gupta, chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Episcopal Health Services. “Communities like this have historically been underserved, and many chronic illnesses don’t cause symptoms until they’re already at an advanced stage.” Gupta said residents throughout the peninsula experience disproportionately high rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high cholesterol. Left untreated, those conditions can lead to heart attacks, ConTInuED on PAGE 15
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his is an important milestone in the library’s ongoing commitment to accessibility and service for the community.