The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 14, NUMBER 11 NOVEMBER 2018 $1.00 Northwell Returns Doctors to St. Vincent Site By Joy Pape Island for health care providers, I was able I’ll never forget the day I started work for to start my new job in Manhattan at Lenox Lenox Hill Hospital when I attended my Hill Hospital. During my first days there, first day of orientation in a lovely venue in I noticed a lot of buzz and excitement Long Island. It had recently been merged with the new influx of money from NSLIJ. with the North Shore Long Island Jewish Lenox Hill Hospital had not been doing (NSLIJ) Health System, now known as well financially prior to this, but was then Northwell Health. It was the time of their able to purchase the needed supplies, staff, entrance into Manhattan, and it was also and education so badly needed. I also re- shortly after the closing of St. Vincent’s member there being a lot of doctors, nurses Hospital. and others who had lost their jobs at St. I was quite impressed that Michael Vincent’s who were now working at Lenox Dowling, President and CEO, was pres- Hill Hospital. ent to welcome the new employees; this is Although I am no longer working for not always a habit of Presidents and CEOs the Northwell Health System, I commend of such large health organizations. I knew NORTHWELL OPENS CLOSED ST. VINCENT DOOR: Northwell opened a suite of medical what Northwell Health has done to help that day he was a man with wisdom, pas- offices to offer West Villagers walk-in access to specialists in the major medical disciplines. our community. We once again have what sion, a care for health…a true visionary By chance, the new Northwell entrance is where the St. Vincent Emergency entrance once is considered state of the art medical care and a good businessman. stood. In the center is President Michael Dowling and on the far left is WestView Publisher for our residents and community. After what I recall as a long and needed George Capsis, who was invited to pose with the collected dignitaries. Photo courtesy of I had the pleasure to interview Warren comprehensive orientation period on Long Northwell Health. continued on page 14 Bureaucracy Rewards Duty to Warn, Part II: Doctor’s Dedication With a Penny How Big Business Runs the Healthcare Industry To The Editor: By Gary G. Kohls, MD drugs, so insurance companies are being is a legal principle that has nothing to I was deeply impressed and moved by forced to raise premium rates dramati- do with medical ethics. I don’t recall be- Dr. Gary Kohl’s story, “Duty to Warn: In this two-part series, Dr. Kohls explores cally. And the sociopaths in Big Pharma ing taught about it when I went to med How Big Business Runs the Healthcare how the intersection of big business and the and Big Vaccine feel no guilt. It is just the school. Below is one definition of “stan- Industry,” in the October 2018 issue of pharmaceutical, vaccine and medical device way business is done. dard of care” as cited by Canada’s Center WestView News. My father was an in- corporations have come to rule the healthcare What pains me the most is witnessing for Research on Globalization: ternist from Germany who lived in the industry. Part one of the series appeared in the the huge influence that the massive pro- “In legal terms, (standard of care is) the USA for 54 years, had an office in New October issue of WestView. paganda campaigns have over both the level at which the average, prudent medi- Jersey as a General Practitioner and prescribers of the risky drugs and vaccines cal provider in a given community would treated his patients with great care and The Big Pharma propaganda campaigns and the patients of those prescribers, de- practice. It is how similarly qualified prac- attention. Although I do recall being the are much more potent today than in the spite the vast and valid scientific informa- titioners would have managed the patient’s happy recipient of the endless trinkets, days before my retirement from my medi- tion that is never advertised or even writ- care under the same or similar circum- pencils, pens, erasers, writing pads, giant cal practice a decade ago. At least back ten about in the mainstream media, which stances. The medical malpractice plaintiff gold paperclips etc. that came in end- then there were no drugs (oral or inject- relies on ad dollars from Big Pharma and must establish the appropriate standard of less volume from the drug companies able) that cost tens of thousands of dol- Big Vaccine. care and demonstrate that the standard of to Dad’s office, promoting Xanax and lars per year. Now there are dozens and Giving short shrift to the informed care has been breached.” whatever other expensive pill they were dozens of drugs that can cost $60,000 to consent principle is legal nowadays, In other words, the standard of care in selling, what I remember most is how $120,000 per year! Even wealthy patients for there is another principle called the one community could be considered mal- continued on page 6 would refuse to pay out of pocket for such “Community Standard of Care,” which continued on page 6 Cynthia can win! 550 Washington St. Veronica Still on the ballot, she Yet another plan for can knock out 26 years development along Concert Series of Deborah Glick’s faint West Street across from Performances continue at St. liberal echoes. Pier 40. Veronica, 149 Christopher St. Saturday, November 3—7 pm SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 22 2 WestView News November 2018 www.westviewnews.org WestView BRIEFLY NOTED Published by WestView, Inc. by and for the residents of the The West Village’s Does Rudin Want Your Fruit Vendor to Move? West Village. Historic Lintels Publisher Lintels, did you ever notice our West Vil- Executive Editor lage Lintels? You might ask, what are lin- George Capsis tels? Well they should not be confused with Managing Editor lentils as in your soup. No, they are, accord- Kim Plosia ing to Webster’s Dictionary, “the horizon- Associate Editors Andrew Buemi, Justin Matthews, tal piece over a door or window”. Anne Olshansky Well, I never really did notice these Art Director lintels until our historic 1853 co-op was Kim Plosia forced to redo our exterior walls. Two of Advertising Manager and Designer those walls are facing the street and sub- Stephanie Phelan ject to the city’s codes, both building codes Photo Editor (DOB) and the city’s Historic Landmarks Darielle Smolian Department. These departments are just one or two of the steps one goes through to Traffic Manager Liza Whiting repair the buildings’ walls, along with the stripping, repointing, painting and repair- Photographers ing or replacing those lintels. All this in Maggie Berkvist Joel Gordon order to stay within the city’s codes. Re- storing one’s co-op one must jump through Comptroller numerous hoops. CITY BLINDSIDES LOCAL VENDOR: For 25 years, 7th Avenue has hosted a fresh fruit and veg- Jolanta Meckauskaite So now I, and others on our co-op board, etable stand opposite the then-St. Vincent’s Hospital. Now facing the Rudin multi-million dollar condos, it is being forced to move. Photo credit © Joel Gordon 2018 —All rights reserved. Architecture Editor were forced to become experts on bricks, Brian Pape mortar, historic colors and lintels, yes lintels. As you walk around the streets of the West cense should be allowed to stand or should Film, Media and Music Editor Village, you see more and more closed be transferred without exceptions to a New Jim Fouratt storefronts standing empty indefinitely. Not York City Parks vendor license. many businesses can say that they have been Harry states, “I was shocked when I re- Food Editor David Porat open in this neighborhood since 1991, but ceived this summons considering how long the Fruit Cart Vendor on the corner of 12th we have been in business in this exact spot in Distribution Manager Street and 7th Avenue can. The third owner this neighborhood. Since I came to America, Timothy Jambeck of the fruit cart, known to his neighbors as I have been located here. I love my spot and Regular Contributors “Harry,” has been providing his neighbors my customers. I can’t imagine moving to an- Barry Benepe, Caroline Benveniste, with fresh fruits and vegetables at great other location. I feel like I would be losing Charles Caruso, Jim Fouratt, prices and at a convenient location for the my family. I would prefer to close down per- John Gilman, Mark. M. Green, Robert Heide, Thomas Lamia, Keith Michael, past 11 years. His business and livelihood manently than have to relocate. This would Michael D. Minichiello, Penny Mintz, are now being threatened. hurt my neighborhood because I provide Brian J. Pape, Joy Pape, Alec Pruchnicki, On October 10th 2018, the Fruit Cart fresh fruit and vegetables daily at a conve- Christina Raccuia, Catherine Revland, Joseph Salas, Martica Sawin, Donna was issued a summons by the NYC De- nient location and at great prices.” Schaper, Arthur Z. Schwartz, Gary To- partment of Health and Mental Hygiene To compare prices in the neighborhood, mei, Joseph Turco, Esq., Stanley Wlodyka for operating a Fruit Cart on property the local Whole Foods on 7th Avenue in We endeavor to publish all letters received, under the Department of Parks and Rec- Chelsea sells a bag of clementines for $6.99 NOW THIS IS WHAT WE CALL "OVER THE including those with which we disagree.