Westviewwins Heart
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The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 2020 $1.00 WestView Wins Heart Lab By George Capsis What I also learned from Dr. Kaufman was how deadly a heart attack can be. It is In the more than five years thatWestView the number one cause of death; one per- News fought to save St. Vincent’s Hospital, son dies of a heart attack every 37 seconds. one voice emerged as the spokesperson for But the doctor also told me that there was the doctors, nurses, and hundreds of staff- a procedure that could unblock a heart in ers that had spent years of their careers in seconds by pushing a flexible tube (a cath- the that massive collection of buildings that eter) up the main artery until it reached traced its history back to a small Catholic and broke up the blockage. This procedure orphanage in 1849. That voice was Doctor is done in what is called a cath lab, which David Kaufman and what a voice it was— is a dedicated heart-specialized operating precise and focused—demanding, “Save room with powerful x-ray equipment that this hospital.” is able to see the catheter as it makes its I got to know Dr. Kaufman and we invit- way up to the blockage. ed him to write for the paper. He informed The science and technique of the cath lab me about the “cath lab,” required to save a is now well-advanced and relatively safe, but heart attack victim in the (otherwise) few until very recently the State Health Com- minutes they might have left to live. missioner required a standby operating Prophetically, in 1968 St. Vincent’s in- room in case the catheter pierced the artery troduced a mobile coronary care unit that MINUTES TO LIVE. Northwell West Village physicians and WestView publisher celebrate the and the chest needed to be opened for ar- could drive to a patient who’d had a heart State Health Commisioner's final approval of a local operating facility for heart attacks. tery repair. As this makes having a cath lab attack and offer emergency treatment From left to right: Babak Hassid, MD, Varinder Singh, MD, George Capsis, Alex Hellinger. prohibitively expensive, when Dr. Kaufman, while racing back to the hospital. Photo by Dusty Berke. continued on page 12 Cuomo’s Veto Betrays Independent Pharmacies and Patients By John Kaliabakos was opposed by three Fortune 25 com- to address the budget deficit, PBMs stole panies (CVS Caremark, Optum Rx, and more than $300 million from taxpayers in Hundreds of community pharmacists and Express Scripts) and the Pharmaceutical just one year; and until they are truly regu- patient advocates from across New York Care Management Association (PCMA), lated, New York will have to pay for PBM protested at Governor Cuomo’s State of a special interest group based in Washing- greed,” said Steve Moore, president of the the State address in Albany. The protest ton, D.C. that represents PBMs (pharmacy Pharmacists Society of the State of New was in response to Cuomo’s recent veto benefit managers). York. “Abusive practices of pharmacy ben- of legislation that would have kept rising As attendees entered the State of the efit managers are having devastating effects prescription drug prices in check, protected State address at The Egg in Albany, com- on the affordability of, and access to, phar- doctors’ freedom to prescribe medications munity pharmacists in white lab coats maceutical care. Patients have experienced that are best for their patients, and ensured passed out prescription pill bottles filled the forceful removal of coverage for their that New Yorkers would remain free to with messages opposing the veto and high- trusted pharmacists and are aware of the visit the pharmacies of their choice. lighting the impact the governor’s veto gag clauses that PBMs placed in the con- The bill that Governor Cuomo vetoed will have on New Yorkers. “Without this tracts with our pharmacists that kept them (S6531/A2836) was supported by doc- critical legislation, PBMs will continue to from telling their patients that the costs BREAK INDUSTRY PRICE CONTROL. Our tors, pharmacists, patient advocates, labor steal money from taxpayers, destroy com- of medications could be affordable if they local Village Apothecary protests Cuomo veto to bill that would have broken industry unions and lawmakers. In June, it passed munity pharmacies, and restrict patients’ didn’t use their insurance, as the copay was self-serving price control. Photo by Arnel unanimously in the assembly and with access to life-saving medications. While higher than the cash price. PBMs showed Molina. overwhelming support in the senate. It the governor purports to turn every stone continued on page 11 Hudson Yards LifeThymeket Integral Yoga Examine the lack of Jason Bander's health food The holistic, integrated ap- overall vision for the market emphasizes service, proach to self-mastery and Hudson River waterfront. quality and value. inner peace that is accessible to every body and everybody. SEE PAGE 5 SEE PAGE 7 SEE PAGE 9 2 WestView News February 2020 www.westviewnews.org WestView WestViews Published by WestView, Inc. by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections Publisher West Village Birds Executive Editor are part of the life of the Village. Restau- and to for publicizing this George Capsis West View News rants and bar life and coffee shops and true spirit-of-the-community event. Art Director pizza parlors and the gathering places like Kim Plosia —N. Shipman parks are all part of the fun we all enjoy. Advertising Manager and Designer Just the other day I spotted a red Cardinal Stephanie Phelan Advertising Success who often flies into the St. Lukes Garden. in WestView News Traffic Manager My old Village pal Edward Albee, now Liza Whiting gone, alas, who spent most of his life in the Dear WestView, Photo Editor Village, loved the paper and after reading it We resumed advertising in your fine com- Darielle Smolian for a while felt it had successfully supplant- munity newspaper in January and are al- WEST VILLAGE LAYOVER: This Blue Jay Photographers ed the Village Voice—the longtime paper I ready receiving lots of new students, taking Maggie Berkvist makes a pit stop for some peanuts. Photo contributed to in the past. Another cohort advantage of the 20 days of Yoga for just by Marco Quezada. Chris Manis of mine from the Voice, Michael Musto, $20 that we featured in our ad. Thank you Associate Editors My name is Marco Quezada. I saw your has also told me how necessary WestView for being a great voice for the West Village Gwen Hoffnagle, Justin Matthews, article last month on the West Village is now to everyone who reads it. Of course and the perfect place for Integral Yoga In- Anne Olshansky birds. I live in the West Village and for a Greenwich Village is considered the most stitute to feature our message to the neigh- Comptroller while I have been visited by an American famous neighborhood in the world and borhood and beyond. Jolanta Meckauskaite Kestrel. Also, a few Blue Jays come around it shouts out that there is every reason to —Chandra/Jo Sgammato Architecture Editor almost everyday to get some peanuts at my keep it going. Long live WestView News! Brian Pape window. —Robert Heide Let me know if you can use any of these. Fashion Editor And yes, I’m a photographer and have Loveprints Karen Rempel Affordable Housing plenty of images. I’m not looking for pay. I Lottery Assistance By Roberta Curley Film, Media and Music Editor just want to contribute. Jim Fouratt I love this paper. Dear editors, LOVE is a gripping pas de deux. Food Editor —Marco Quezada Responding to inquiries about my Janu- LOVE cries recycled tears. David Porat ary 2020 article “Clarkson Towers Prom- ise Affordable & Senior Units” and how LOVE is Belgian chocolate Regular Contributors Praise for WestView one can enter the lottery for an apartment and Arkansas diamonds. J. Taylor Basker, Barry Benepe, Caroline Benveniste, Charles Caruso, Dear WestView, there in the new development, I am pro- LOVE illuminates an infant’s face. Jim Fouratt, John Gilman, Thanks for keeping WestView going into viding the website for the The New York Mark. M. Green, Robert Heide, yet a NEW decade: 2020! City Department of Housing Preservation LOVE is choosing one person with Thomas Lamia, Keith Michael, whom to spill the beans. Michael D. Minichiello, Penny Mintz, I want to send my deep appreciation to and Development (HPD), which creates Brian J. Pape, Joy Pape, Bruce Poli, Alec all of you, once again, for the spectacular affordable rent-stabilized apartments and LOVE gallops at a heart’s pace. Pruchnicki, Christina Raccuia, Karen featured layout of my Bird of the Year 2019 homeownership opportunities for house- Rempel, Catherine Revland, Mar- LOVE stings when you overhear: tica Sawin, Donna Schaper, Arthur Z. article and photos. Another wow. holds at a wide range of income levels and “What’s wrong with her? Schwartz, Stanley Wlodyka It is amazing to me that I have now sizes. For help applying, they include ap- She must be in love with that guy.” We endeavor to publish all letters received, been a contributor to WestView for 8 years! plication guides. including those with which we disagree. That’s nearly 100 articles, and a gazillion The New York City Department of LOVE him one minute — wish him vanished The opinions put forth by contributors walks around the block with Millie. How Housing Preservation and Development the next? THAT’S TRUE LOVE.