By Dee Richard
Dr. Robert J. Aquino, CEO and president of Parkway, said they are now in a position to become one of the region's premier hospitals and he is looking forward to announcing some important new additions to the services the hospital already provides to the community. In his opinion, Parkway is on its way to becoming a state-of-the-art hospital with the latest and best equipment and one of the most competent and caring staffs. Forest Hills has one of the largest senior populations in this area and these particular citizens really require care in the convenience of their own neighborhood rather than being transported to another hospital miles away. In many of these cases, time is of the essence. Aside from the senior's medical needs, it is good for their psychological needs to know they have an excellent facility right in their own neighborhood, thereby eliminating time and travel, which could be crucial in many senior's cases. Congratulations to Dr. Bobby Aquino, the New Parkway Hospital and its staff for a job well done. Dr. A would also like to thank all those who had enough faith in him to stand by him during the hospital's difficult times. Speaking of Parkway and the forward-thinking establishment that it is, on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until noon they conducted a bioterrorism tabletop exercise in the hospital's cafeteria. The exercise was divided into three modules. No. 1 was “discovery,” No. 2 “response” and No. 3 “surge capacity.” It is important to increase bio-event awareness and to assess the level of the hospital's preparedness and ability to respond during a public health emergency, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the incident command system, policies, procedures, and staff roles. For me it was quite an eye-opener since as with most Americans 9/11 had become past history for me. This brought home the very real possibility of potential future events. Everyone should remember the old bromide “it's better to be safe than sorry.” Take heed! On a lighter note, Sunday morning the Hillcrest Jewish Center held a breakfast of appreciation to thank Borough President Helen Marshall, state Sen. Frank Padavan and City Councilman Jim Gennaro in recognition of their significant financial support for Hillcrest JC Youth Programs. It was a well-attended breakfast, and to show their appreciation for the electeds' support they presented each one of them with a beautiful plaque.Hillcrest is sponsoring a fund-raiser on April 15 from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. at Lord & Taylor in Garden City. So, ladies, shop till you drop. The way it works is you buy a $5 admission ticket from Hillcrest for the Lord & Taylor Benefit Bash. Hillcrest keeps the $5 and they give you a 20-percent-off coupon for any purchase you make on any item, whether it is regular price or on sale. It's a fun day with lots of special events. In fact, there is something for everyone. There are clowns and face painting provided by Big Apple Circus for the children, makeup demos for the ladies, a fashion show, many book signings and numerous other things. Call Hillcrest at 718-380-4145 for your ticket and the schedule of the various events of the day and evening. Remember, it's not only fun, but also support for a good cause. See you there!From Hillcrest it was off to the Samuel Field Y in Little Neck, where the Jewish community was conducting its fifth annual Harmony Pre-Passover Food Drive. The food collection runs through April 11. For additional drop-off points other than the Y, call Gail Eisenberg at 718-225-6750 Ext. 247. Remember, all food donations must be unopened, non-perishable items. Be a good guy and share with those less fortunate. The Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council sponsors the annual drive to help fight hidden hunger. You don't have to be Jewish to get involved and make food donations. Good hearts are always willing to help and are always universally appreciated. The drive was topped off with a “Pirate Purim Carnival” at 1 p.m. That also had all the earmarks of being a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.The last stop Sunday was a rally put together by David Weprin to save the Klein Farm. The rally was held outside the farm on 73rd Avenue in Fresh Meadows. The protesters would like to see the Klein Farm become incorporated as an annex to the Queens County Farm Museum. Time and space have run out, but we will keep you posted on the Klein Farm's future progress. That's it for this week.I always like to receive your voice mail at 718-767 6484, your faxes at 718-746-0066 and your e-mail at deerrichard@aol.comTill next week, Dee.
