Bukharian Jewish Community Leaders Tour

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Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Northwell Health

On Wednesday night, January 23, community leaders and activists of the Bukharian community gathered at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Northwell Health hospital for a tour led by Medical and Executive Directors Dr. Mitchel Jacobs and Ms. Susan Browning, respectively, and Director of Community Services Mr. Theodore Lehmann. Representing the Bukharian community were Alliance of Bukharian Americans Executive Director Adam Suionov, Chazaq Organization Operations Manager Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, Vice President of the Bukharian Jewish Union Alex Cohen, J.D., and Chazaq Representative Mr. Shabsie Steven Saphirstein. The event was organized by the Alliance of Bukharian Americans Health Committee. 

Ms. Browning began the tour with a presentation on the hospital’s recent infrastructure improvements, including plans for a completely new elevator system, the recent changes in the Mother-Baby unit, and the state-of-art Imaging Center. She highlighted the hospital’s attention to communal input, and expressed a desire to build upon the strong relationship with the leaders of the Bukharian Jewish community.

After a brief Q&A session, Dr. Jacobs lead a tour of the new facilities including a newly renovated entrance/waiting area and a renovated imaging center to house new X-Ray, CT, and MRI equipment. We heard about the hospital’s powerful coordination between its in-house radiologists and an additional 150 specialized radiologists from across the expansive Northwell Health system. Using this system allows case analysis not locally, but amongst the entire Northwell Health network to ensure quality assessment.

The tour also highlighted fully renovated private rooms on the maternity floor, an expanded OB/GYN surgical staff with special expertise in breast surgery, cancer surgery, uro-gynecology, as well as an expanded neurology staff. Dr. Jacobs also showed us the newly added Prayer Meditation Room, where patients and their families have access to siddurim and tefillin to help maintain a strong religious connection at all times. The tour concluded on a good note; both the guests and hospital representatives felt closer to the hospital’s stated goal of excellent service tailored to its community.

 By Samuel Sabzanov