“The moment my mom told me we had tickets, I said, ‘We have to go!’” Sidney said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The two girls had very different inauguration experiences. Sidney got tickets from a family friend and attended with her mother; while Lucy, who had gone to the 2008 inauguration, did not have tickets. She went anyway, and stood with her family amid the throng of enthusiastic Americans near the Capitol.

“It was really cool to look behind me and see thousands of people watching the same thing,” Lucy said.

But it was also pretty frustrating, she conceded, because the Jumbotron malfunctioned and she was not able to see the president’s speech.

Her friend Sidney, on the other hand, felt fortunate and elated because her inauguration tickets included exclusive passes to a candlelight reception at the National Building Museum. There, she got to see the president and vice president somewhat up close and personal.

Neither girl actually had the opportunity to meet the president, but they were in awe of being so close to him.

“If I met the president, I really don’t think I’d be able to say anything!” Lucy said.

For both girls though, attending the inauguration was more than just a novelty experience; they are personally interested in many of the most pressing national issues.

“I’m really interested in health care, because my father is a doctor,” Sidney said. “I don’t like seeing people suffer.”

After thinking for a moment, Lucy, the quieter of the two girls, spoke up about her political passion.

“I really want gay marriage to be legalized,” she said.

“Oh yeah!” Sidney chimed in. “Equality for everyone is important too.”

And as two young women in an all-girls’ school, both Lucy and Sidney agreed that first lady Michelle Obama is someone to look up to.

“She’s such a role model!” Sidney gushed. “I want to be just like her.”

By Aaron Adler

Two members of Housing Works, a New York-based healthcare and AIDS advocate group, climbed two 40 foot flagpoles at the southern end of City Hall Park in lower Manhattan on Wednesday around 10:45 a.m. The activists, wearing helmets and climbing gear, unfurled a 30 foot banner that read “HOUSING IS HEALTHCARE: HOUSE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS” after quickly climbing to the top of the flagpoles without being noticed by several police officers in the vicinity.

Police quickly arrived and blocked the sidewalk and the area immediately under the flagpoles and brought in a cherrypicker to bring down the activists. Other Housing Works activists held signs and cheered on Tony Ray and the other unidentified flagpole climber from the ground.

“I am up here today because of the lack of attention to housing for people with AIDS.” said activist Tony Ray through a megaphone high above the crowd, “If people with AIDS have a safe place to live, and a place for them to refrigerate their meds, they are going to stay healthy.”

The two activists stayed on the flagpoles for around 25 minutes before they were removed peaceably by the NYPD and arrested without incident.

The civil disobedience came two days before World Aids Day, a global day of remembrance of those lost to the disease.

This time of year could try any senior’s soul. Between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7, adults 65 and up who are eligible for Medicare can switch from one health plan to another without penalty.
During this open enrollment period, seniors are deluged by TV ads, letter campaigns and e-mail messages encouraging them to switch medical plans.

The reason? During this time, if you are not completely satisfied with your current plan—or if your health needs have changed—you can look for a plan that better meets your needs. This also is also the time when you can switch from one prescription drug plan to another without complications.
Below are a few explanations that may clarify some of these terms:

Medicare. This is a federal program that pays for certain health care expenses for people aged 65 or older, and for some younger people who meet special criteria. Medicare Part A covers hospitalization and nursing home care. Medicare Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient medical procedures, and some medical tests. The special enrollment period allows you to change your type B coverage, although your decision could impact your hospital or nursing homes coverage as well.

Medicare Part B. This is also referred to as Original Medicare. This program requires you to pay a monthly premium of $104.90, and an annual deductible of $147. After these costs are met, Medicare B will cover 80 percent of most medical exams and procedures; you or yet another health plan must pay the rest. Part B coverage includes most preventative-care services, annual physicals, depression screening, HIV screening, mammograms, prostate cancer screening, flu shots and diabetes tests.

Medicare Part B also covers most medical equipment, home health care, outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy, outpatient mental care services and emergency transportation.
It is important to note that Medicare Part B does NOT cover most dental care, eye exams, hearing aids, alternative medicine and cosmetic surgery. It also does not cover prescription drugs. Many of these services can be added to your care by applying for a Medicare Supplemental Insurance plan, often called a Medigap plan.

Medigap plans. These are private health insurance plans designed to supplement Medicare. They cover such costs as copayments, coinsurance and annual deductibles. The names of some Medigap plans are: AARP Medical Supplement, Humana Medical Supplement and Emblem Health Medical Supplement. Their costs and coverage vary, depending on what they offer, but enrolling in one of these plans will provide you with the 20 percent payment not covered by Medicare—and may also provide additional coverage of such services as vision, hearing and dental care. Every Medigap policy must be clearly identified as “Medicare Supplement Insurance.”

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) plans. These plans are administered by private companies that are approved and regulated by the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The emphasis here is on “private.” They are plans that the government contracts; they offer policies that cover doctor visits, hospitalization and, sometimes, prescription medication. Medicare Advantage plans must offer benefits on par with traditional Medicare, but many providers include more as a way to attract customers. Some of these services may include vision, hearing and dental care. The most common types of Medicare Advantage include Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) and Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plans.

Medicare Advantage plans require you to pay the same monthly premium you would pay for Medicare Part B. Many include additional services under this fee, while other plans offer “tiers” of service at varying cost levels. Some even include gym or health club memberships. In exchange for these extra benefits, these plans may require that you adhere to a limited “network” of providers. If you decide to purchase a Medicare Advantage Plan, find out what additional services are actually included before signing up. A plan that includes vision care, for example, may only reimburse an annual eye exam, but not glasses. Remember that you will rarely get more from a similarly priced program without giving up other benefits.

Medicare Part D. This is the prescription drug program. Private pharmaceutical companies approved and regulated by the federal government provide Medicare Part D plans. These programs require payment of monthly premiums ranging from $15 to $165, plus small co-payments for each drug. People who enroll in traditional Medicare must also select a Medicare Part D prescription program. Many Medicare Advantage plans include a drug plan or plans. If not, you must select one as well.

Before you switch plans, it’s important to evaluate your needs.

8 Questions to ask before changing health plans

How much will I have to pay for premiums, deductibles, doctor visits or hospital stays?

Are all the services I need covered under this plan? If not, is there a way to obtain coverage without paying large additional amounts?

Are my doctors in this plan? If not, can I continue to see an “out of network doctor” even if it costs a bit more?

What services will I give up if I switch plans?

Will I have to choose my hospital and health care providers from a limited network?

Are the hospitals/nursing facilities in my network convenient to me? Do they have good ratings?

Will I need physician referrals to visit specialists?

Are my prescription drugs on the plan’s formulary? What is my prescription medication copayment?

Does the plan I selected have a good quality rating?

Joanna Leefer is an eldercare advisor with 10 years experience working with aging issues. She was the primary caregiver for her parents for over seven years and worked for FRIA Inc. (Friends and Relatives of Institutionalized Aged) an advocacy organization for the elderly. For more information on her services, log onto www.joannaleefer.com. Her book Eldercare Basics will be available in spring 2013.

Missi Gibbs has volunteered at Roosevelt Hospital for so many years, she’s forgotten when she started. “I don’t even know,” she said. “It’s been over 30 years!”

Gibbs, who turns 75 in November, is receiving a Westy award for her volunteer work.

“We are so lucky to have her here with us,” said Kathleen Dalton, director of volunteer services at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals. Dalton, who has known Gibbs for more than seven years, described her as an invaluable member of the hospitals’ volunteer team

“We all have whatever blessings we have, which really aren’t because of us. And so what we can do is give back,” Gibbs said on a recent Saturday in her apartment on West 81st Street. She first started volunteering at Roosevelt after her priest recommended it. “I got the names from the chaplain’s office of people who frequently did not have visitors,” she said.

At that time, hospital stays tended to be longer, Gibbs explained. “If someone had a stroke, they’d stay there for weeks.” After work, she visited patients, keeping them company. “I really, really loved it because I met interesting people,” she said. She later volunteered in the hospital gift shop and served as treasurer for the St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Associate Trustees.

Currently, Gibbs volunteers every Friday as an ambulatory surgery liaison, facilitating communication between patients’ families and the medical staff. Then on Mondays she works in the maternity unit helping to escort families after they are discharged.

In addition to volunteering at Roosevelt, she is the chairperson of the beneficiaries committee of St. George’s Society of NY, an organization assisting local elderly and disabled residents who have a British and Commonwealth heritage. She is also a former board member of the Manhattan Plaza Foundation, which sponsored HIV and AIDS support programs.

Born in Pennsylvania, Gibbs grew up outside of Chicago. After attending Sweet Briar College in Virginia for two years, she transferred to Katharine Gibbs in New York when it was a secretarial school. “Back in the days when you wore hats and white gloves,” she said.

After graduation, she returned to Chicago for her first job at Life magazine. “I worked for the merchandizing manager and had lots of fun,” she said. Gibbs later moved back to New York with her husband. “When my feet hit New York, I knew this is where I’m staying forever and ever and ever,” she said. A mother of a son and a daughter, she remained in the city after her divorce.

She is generous with her time as well as her three-bedroom apartment, which she shares with her 23-year-old granddaughter as well as a Romanian pianist she describes as her “adopted” adult son.

“He needed a place to stay and the cats liked him,” she explained. (Gibbs adopted her two cats, Poopster and Sister Susie.) Two of her granddaughter’s friends have also been staying at the apartment temporarily. “I am currently running Granny’s flophouse,” she said.

The leading cause of death for women in the United States is heart disease, and many of the symptoms that signal heart attack in women are different from those experienced by males, sometimes resulting in a fatal self-misdiagnosis.

According to the American Heart Association, 477,900 women died from a heart-related conditions in 2008. The number of fatalities is nearly 12 times greater than the number of women the National Cancer Institute estimates will succumb to breast cancer this year, which is 39,510.

In the most recent summary compiled by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, heart disease was the cause of death for around 219,000 New Yorkers. Nationwide, the American Heart Association estimates that a heart attack happens every 34 seconds.

For men, the warning signs of a heart attack include a feeling of discomfort or pressure in the chest and arms, and shortness of breath. According to the Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of heart disease in women include neck, shoulder, and abdominal pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, lightheadedness, unusual fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
One of the main reasons it is believed that women have different symptoms than men is that they tend to get blockages in different places. When a heart attack occurs it is caused by the inability for oxygen and blood to circulate through parts of the heart. Women normally have plaque buildup and blockages in smaller arteries, while males usually get blockages in larger arteries. This is why women often have less pronounced symptoms, and they can mistake the effects of a heart attack with other conditions such as a flu or just generally feeling sick.

Many women do not realize that they are having a heart attack, and sometimes wait too long to take action. In that situation, delaying medical attention can be deadly. If a woman is feeling symptoms associated with a heart attack, she should contact 911 immediately—the faster she gets to the hospital, the better chance she has to recover.

Unfortunately, for both men and women there are some heart attacks that show no symptoms of discomfort, nausea or shortness of breath; these are called “silent” heart attacks. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, older people with diabetes are more likely to suffer this type of attack.

As with other illnesses, early detection is key. You can schedule an appointment with your doctor to find out if you are at risk of developing heart disease. If you want to make immediate changes in your lifestyle to improve your health and reduce the risk of heart troubles, you can quit smoking, start eating heart-healthy foods and begin exercising if you don’t already.

Some of the best cardiovascular and heart-surgery hospitals in the country are located right here in Manhattan. Among the hospitals making the annual US News and World Report list are New York Presbyterian University Hospital, ranked at No. 4; Mount Sinai Medical Center, No. 10; and NYU Langone Medical Center, No. 14.

When attorney Barbara Gay found a lump on her breast, she went to her doctor for an evaluation and was referred to a surgeon to have a biopsy. It took a week before the results came in.

“I remember he looked at me and said, ‘You have breast cancer,’ then he spun his stool around and wrote a note in the chart and handed me a piece of paper with an appointment to have it removed.” Barbara didn’t know what her options were or where to go for help. That was seven years ago. She had two lumpectomies, because the first surgery missed some areas of cancer, chemotherapy every three weeks for six sessions and six weeks of radiation five days a week. She sought out a support group and learned from other women about treatment options and their experiences.

“Everybody is really different as to the risks they’re willing to take, the amount of surgery they are willing to undergo, the amount of time they can take off work and their insurance coverage. I wanted to work as much as possible during the treatment. I wanted things to be as normal as possible, and I also feared losing my job and health insurance. Several women in my support group had the same issues. Many women I’ve known who have breast cancer are limited in their treatment choices by the kind and amount of insurance they have. Insurance companies used to fight covering an overnight stay in the hospital after a mastectomy or breast reconstruction, which is a form of plastic surgery.”

Many women opt for a mastectomy because they live too far from anywhere they can get radiation treatment daily for six weeks, which is required when one goes the lumpectomy route.

In 2005 when Barbara was diagnosed, implants were the most common form of reconstruction and the choice was between saline and silicone, both of which had significant drawbacks. “Members of my support group discussed the pain involved with the insertion of the spreaders in the chest, which were gradually expanded to accommodate the implants.” Implants also come with risks such as rupture and infection, and they have to be replaced after roughly 10 years, requiring more surgery.

Dale, who is now in her seventies, has been dealing with the aftereffects of implants since she was diagnosed with breast cancer 14 years ago.

“In l998 I had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation, and then the cancer came back. In 2010 I had bilateral mastectomies, and then had implants put in. My left chest kept collapsing and getting infected. I was on so many rounds of antibiotics. The implants were removed, and then I went back to the doctor. I was sitting in my hospital gown, and he said to me, ‘You’re a nice lady, but I’m sorry, there is nothing more I can do for you.’ He handed me a piece of paper with the names of other doctors on it. I was shell-shocked. The next day he disappeared, and no one knows where he is.”

Dale has had to go for hyperbaric treatment for the chest infection and now has an opening in her chest that won’t close. “I’ve had three operations in three and a half weeks. I am now going to a doctor who specializes in latissimus flap surgeries, which my other doctor did not specialize in.”

Women today have many more options available to them than they did when Barbara and Dale were diagnosed. As Barbara commented, “The point is that a breast cancer diagnosis doesn’t automatically entail mastectomy and reconstruction. There are often a series of decisions to be made—lumpectomy vs. mastectomy, reconstruction vs. prosthesis, implants vs. flap.”

Newer procedures starting to gain favor are the tissue-flap procedures, in which tissue is removed from the abdomen, back, thighs or buttocks to rebuild the breast. The two most common types of flap procedures are the TRAM flap or transverse rectus abdominis muscle flap, which uses tissue from the lower abdomen, and the latissimus dorsi flap, which uses tissue from the upper back. In both of these cases healthy blood vessels are needed for the tissue’s blood supply, so flap procedures are not usually offered to women with diabetes, connective tissue or vascular disease, or to smokers.

In a TRAM flap, the skin, fat, blood vessels and at least one abdominal muscle are removed from the abdomen to the chest wall. There are two types of TRAM flaps: a pedicle flap, in which the flap is attached to the original blood supply and tunnels it under the skin to the breast. The other is a free flap, in which the flap of skin, fat, blood vessels and muscles for the implant are cut from the original location and then reattached using microscopic surgery to connect the vesicles. This procedure is a longer process and not done as often, but it can result in a more natural shape to the breast.

The latissimus dorsi flap moves muscle and skin from the upper back and is tunneled under the skin to the front of the chest. The side effects of this are pain and weakness in the back, shoulder and arm after surgery.

A newer form of surgery—the nipple-sparing procedure—has been around for about five years, but it’s not appropriate for all patients. In this procedure, the patient’s breast skin, areola and nipple remain. An advantage of this procedure is that the breast remains more cosmetically attractive. The disadvantage is that the nipple and areola lose sensation.
Dr. Deborah Axelrod, associate professor of clinical surgery and the director of clinical breast services programs at NYU Langone Medical Center, specializes in this type of surgery. “This kind of surgery is really for those women who do not have cancer by the nipple but have it peripherally. Someone who had cancer close to the nipple or imaging that showed areas close to the nipple would not be a good candidate, and someone with very large breasts is also not a good candidate.”

The procedure is long and can last up to eight hours, depending on the breast reconstruction performed. Axelrod describes it as being “like an envelope—you are taking the letters out and leaving the envelope, so you are leaving the envelope of skin intact. The nipple stays on the skin, but it is also biopsied to make sure there is no cancer.”

Axelrod acknowledges that women have changed the way breast cancer has been treated. “Women don’t want to be slashed. There is now a team approach to the conversation between the plastic surgeon and the oncologic surgeon to design something so that every time a woman looks down at her chest, she won’t be reminded that she had this horrible surgery or that she had breast cancer. Women say that they feel much more whole and not as hollow.” She does caution that there are not many long-term studies on this type of procedure.

With any kind of surgery, it is important to do your research, ask questions and find a physician who is not only experienced but with whom you feel comfortable, as Patty Harold, an attorney in Long Island, shared with me. Her breast cancer was discovered after she fell off a bike. Patty had a lumpectomy as an outpatient and opted not to have plastic surgery. “My advice would be to make sure you have a surgeon whom you have ultimate confidence in. I loved my surgeon and I was less scared because of her. I also think women should bring someone along who can act as their ‘ears.’ Even though the doctor is speaking to you, somehow it is hard to hear. I had friends and family take turns in visiting doctors with me so they could listen, take notes and help me make decisions when needed.”

By Wilder Fleming

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has pushed to diversify New York City’s major industries to include the life sciences, part of a greater drive to make the city a high-tech hub.
But will projects like the Alexandria Center for Life Science and the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Army Terminal into start-up-friendly lab space pave the way for a self-sustaining commercial life sciences industry in the city?

“We know that New York has significant competitive advantages in it,” said Seth Pinsky, president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. “We also understand that there have been challenges that have kept New York from fulfilling its potential.”

Including biotech, pharmaceutical and biomedical companies, among others, the life sciences industry is booming in places like Cambridge, Mass., Chapel Hill, N.C., and the San Francisco Bay area. But although New York City has the highest concentration of academic medical research institutions in the world, it hasn’t traditionally been home to the commercial start-ups that bear economic fruit.

“The culture of our major research institutions, historically, was not commercially oriented,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “They were selling their patents to the places … around the country where the business was created, as opposed to working with their scientists to develop businesses here.”
Even though research institutions were spinning out around 20 to 30 commercial start-ups per year, they nearly always relocated because of the city’s lack of early-stage lab space, Pinsky and Wylde said.

“We did the initial market study and found that New York needed to develop about one million square feet of wet lab space to accommodate the companies that were being spun out,” Wylde said.

The Alexandria Center for Life Science and the so-called BioBAT in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood are the main projects in a broader initiative to meet and surpass this goal. Of the three proposed towers at Alexandria—which is located between Bellevue Hospital and the NYU Medical Center—one has been built so far. Plans are in the works to break ground on the second tower before the end of 2013, according to Pinsky.

Alexandria’s first tower, which was opened in 2010 with approximately 300,000 square feet of space, has been a success, said Pinsky, adding that “for all intents and purposes it’s full.” (A spokesperson for Alexandria could not be reached for comment.)

In addition to the projected $700 million investment by the development firm Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the Alexandria Center is receiving upwards of $45 million from the city and state and $2 million from the federal government for infrastructure work associated with the project.

In the past, concerns were raised about the high cost of renting space in Manhattan, which can be an obstacle for start-ups.

According to Pinsky, Alexandria’s main tenants to date have been major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Pfizer, but Alexandria is also home to a “science hotel” that provides short-term leases with start-up companies in mind. And unlike Manhattan, Brooklyn can offer more competitive rents.

“What we’re looking to do is to develop facilities that are affordable for different parts of the market,” Pinsky said. Still under construction, Brooklyn’s BioBAT, which is on the lower end of the spectrum, is costing the city $12 million and the state $50 million. Only a single anchor tenant, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which already occupies a 40,000-square-foot space from an earlier construction phase, has signed on to date.

Nathan Tinker, executive director of the New York Biotechnology Association, said that more could still be done to promote the industries, which are being courted by states like Massachusetts, North Carolina and Michigan.

“There are no dedicated incentives in New York State for the life sciences,” he said. “In New York City, there’s a qualified tax credit of $250,000 a year for biotech companies, but that’s really the only specific targeted credit in the city as well.”

Tinker credited the Bloomberg administration for taking some positive steps, such as helping the Alexandria Center get off the ground. But he said Bloomberg must do more to take advantage of the concentration of world-class research institutions in the city and leverage that into a thriving commercial sector.

“It’s one thing to put up beautiful, expensive buildings, but it’s another thing to build them up them with the small and emerging companies that are really the life force of these industries,” he said.

But according to Wylde and Pinsky, the overall effort to bring the commercial life sciences to New York City is working, and more projects are in the offing.

Pinsky said that over the last year large pharmaceutical companies, academic medical centers and entrepreneurs have tried to put in place initiatives to build on the success of the new infrastructure in place.

“We should be announcing by the end of this year what those initiatives will consist of,” he said.

And according to statistics provided by the EDC, bioscience employment in New York City rose to 10,381 jobs in 2011, up 3.2 percent from 2010 and ahead of the 0.6 percent national growth rate. This was driven mainly by growth in biotech research and development and medical labs, which both increased by 10.5 percent.

“In New York you have about 11,000 people working in commercial bioscience,” Pinsky said. “In the Boston/Cambridge area, that number is over 40,000. And we don’t think there’s any reason why New York can’t be a competitor with Boston and Cambridge.”
This article first appeared in the Sept. 17 issue of City and State.

TV’s Most Prominent Advocate Of Health Gets Personal On The Joys Of His Career And Deep Commitment To Family

By Whitney C. Harris

Take the demands of a world-class cardiothoracic surgeon operating at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and teaching at Columbia University Medical School. Add to that the work of hosting a Daytime Emmy award-winning television show and writing best-selling books—not to mention supporting various nonprofits—and you’re looking at the daily grind of America’s most famous doc, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

“For me it’s about managing my energy, not just my time,” Oz replies when asked how he finds room for it all. “I have filled my life with activities and people I’m passionate about, and that alone gives me the ability to sustain a pretty hectic schedule.”

And, graciously, Oz made time for us. With the fourth season of The Dr. Oz Show now airing across the globe, we caught up with its celebrated star to talk medicine, marriage and modern-day parenting.

You come from a family of medical and wellness professionals. What inspired you to go into medicine?
As a child, I would join my father, who is also a physician, on his rounds at the hospital. I saw how he’d make his patients smile, even when they were in pain. But my career choice came into focus when my dad and I were in an ice cream shop and he asked a boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. The boy was indecisive, prompting my dad to tell me, “You can be anything you want, but have direction and do your best.”

What is a typical day like for you?
I don’t have a typical day, and that’s exciting for me. On Mondays, I meet with the producers and prepare for the week’s tapings; on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I shoot two shows each day; and on Thursdays, I operate.

What are the biggest challenges and the biggest rewards of your work?
The biggest challenge—whether on the stage or in the operating room—is how I can inspire change. I can’t will someone to live a healthier life; I can only provide the information they need to make smarter decisions. But the ultimate reward is when my message clicks, when they get that spark in their eye and they get it. I am in awe of the letters I receive from viewers and patients who share their progress with me. It makes all the hard work worth it.

What was the turning point at which your career really took off and why do you think you’ve been so successful?
There’s a clear moment when my career shifted from operating room to TV studio. I had operated on a 25-year-old woman, and when I went to visit her in recovery, she, her husband, and their two kids were celebrating the successful surgery with fast food. It was then that I realized that I’m doing a disservice to my patients if I just fix their heart but don’t explain how health and nutrition could keep them off my operating table in the first place. She characterized so many patients I had seen who didn’t see how they could impact their own lives.

So my wife created a show for me, which became Second Opinion on Discovery. Oprah Winfrey was actually my first guest— we hit it off, and she invited me on her show. The rest is history.

What is one of your most memorable TV moments, either as host or guest?
There have been so many memorable guests and moments over the past three years. But the first that comes to mind is when we celebrated our 400th show and some of our favorite guests returned to offer their sage advice. It’s so inspiring to see the excitement in their eyes as they share their journeys and acknowledge how far they’ve come.

You’ve been married for almost 30 years and have four children. Can you tell us about your family? What’s the family dynamic like in the Oz household?
I have been blessed with a wonderful, beautiful family. My wife, Lisa, is the brains and is the driving force for me and our kids. Now that our kids are older, and they each have their own schedules, we have to consciously set aside family time. We love to take trips together, as we did this summer—we traveled to Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

We’re all fairly active, so our family time usually involves some sort of sport. Every year we have Oz Olympics, a tournament of four events, each designed around one of our kid’s strengths. Each compete in all four events, so to win the medal, one has to succeed at someone else’s event as well as their own. We always have a great time.

What is the best piece of parenting advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I ever got was that when you give your kids something that you didn’t have as a child, you’re taking away from them something that you did have. You have to be very cautious about making their life too easy. I won’t purposely make their life miserable, but I won’t go out of my way to make it easy, either—part of life is having the freedom to make mistakes.

So what was your own childhood like? Do you observe any Turkish traditions in your family?
As the son of immigrant parents, I had the privilege to grow up American while staying in touch with my Turkish roots. Turkish was actually my first language, and I grew up spending summers in Istanbul. Now my parents have moved back, so we visit with our kids as often as we can, like [we did] this summer.

What do you enjoy doing in New York City with your family?
My wife and I grew up around Philly, and we moved to the area while I was still in med school as we were just starting our family. The New York City area has been a fantastic place to raise kids. They have been lucky enough to experience the excitement and the culture first-hand, and I think it’s shaped them in the best possible way. We love to visit the farmers’ market in Union Square and enjoy the amazing restaurants the city has to offer—especially with local food.

Downtown Hospital to hold Emergency Preparedness Symposium on Friday

By Paul Bisceglio

Dr. Antonio Dajer is no stranger to emergencies. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, he was the physician on duty at New York’s Downtown Hospital—the only hospital in Lower Manhattan. The World Trade Center attack forced him to coordinate treatment for over 10 times the emergency room’s daily average of 80 to 100 patients, including those with severe burns, gaping wounds and head injuries.

Now the hospital’s chairman of emergency medicine, Dajer will use his experience in emergency response to direct this year’s Emergency Preparedness Symposium, an annual, daylong series of presentations sponsored by the hospital that will be held at Pace University on Friday, Sept. 14. The talks this year will take a hard look at the city’s integrated emergency communication systems, asking just how coordinated the NYPD, FDNY and local hospitals are in the face of crisis.

“My experience of 9/11 convinced me that communication issues in disaster response are paramount,” Dajer told Our Town Downtown. “NYC—and every city and state—needs to keep integrating Fire Department and Police Department communications.”

Dajer said that this year’s symposium differs from previous years’ in its exclusive focus on the issue of communication. According to him, the day will provide health care and corporate attendees with practical information on “real-world response tools,” including how to improvise with the tools we all have, but don’t always think to use in emergencies—smart phones and social media.

The day’s six presentations will discuss technological and conceptual advances in emergency response at local, national and international levels. Retired U.S. Army Gen. Brian Geehan will begin with the talk “Advances in FDNY Response Practices,” and lectures on technologies’ role in recent relief efforts for post-earthquake Haiti and post-tornado Joplin, Mo., will follow. After lunch break tours of Downtown Hospital and the World Trade Center, FEMA’s regional communications director, Sean Kielty, will detail his agency’s extensive communications map, then a Downtown Hospital representative and the emergency preparedness coordinator for New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System will break down the city’s own emergency response techniques.

Asked what especially would stand out in the presentations, Dajer predicted that “the recent dramatic advances in how social networking can be applied to disaster response” would dominate most of the day’s conversation. Tweeting may seem trivial when you’re typing about the burger you just ate, but social media has the power to streamline on-the-scene updates of emergencies as they unfold, which can provide response teams with up-to-the-minute information on where their resources are most needed—one component of “crisis mapping,” which Dr. Jennifer Chan will address specifically in the Haiti earthquake presentation.

The symposium will close with remarks by Dajer, who noted that Downtown Hospital’s role in 9/11 has earned the hospital an important and iconic place in emergency preparedness in the world. In 2006, the hospital opened a new $25 million, 26,000-square-foot emergency center capable of treating a 9/11-sized patient load, and it continues to facilitate the emergency preparedness symposium to help the city remain vigilant in the always-looming threat of disaster.

The symposium runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday at One Pace Plaza. For more information, visit the hospital’s website at www.downtownhospital.org.

Aimee Raupp always knew she wanted a career where she could help people.

On a daily basis, she does exactly that, treating patients who seek help for everything from anxiety and depression to infertility. Raupp is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist.
“I love giving people the sense of hope that they can feel better,” Raupp said.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that involves inserting needles into specific points on the body. By adjusting the flow of the body’s energy, acupuncture is used to heal various illnesses and conditions.

The World Health Organization has identified 28 different conditions for which acupuncture is an effective treatment, including allergies, adverse reactions to chemotherapy, headaches, depression, nausea, neck pain and lower back pain.

As acupuncture continues to become more popular in the U.S. and a more widely accepted form of treatment, job opportunities in the field may be growing, too.
Raupp runs two successful practices in New York; one in Manhattan and one in Nyack.

But becoming an acupuncturist takes commitment, Raupp said. Anyone interested in obtaining an acupuncture license must first earn a master’s degree. Most programs take about three to four years to complete.

Some schools that offer acupuncture programs in Manhattan include the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, New York College of Health Professions, the Swedish Institute and the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.

“I think it’s definitely more intense than what people think,” said Raupp, who holds a Master of Science degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego.

The curriculum covers such areas as the history of Chinese medicine, ethics, the study of herbs, needle technique, pressure points, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology.
Prior to enrolling in the program, Raupp was pursuing a graduate degree in neuroscience and she held a bachelor’s degree in biology. Her background in science helped her in the program, she said.

“You truly have to be committed, because you are learning the whole concept of Chinese medicine and in addition, you’re learning Western medicine, because you need to understand the conditions you are working with,” said Barbara Carver, senior vice president of New York College of Health Professions, which offers degrees in acupuncture and oriental medicine.

Extensive clinical work is also a significant part of acupuncture programs.

“Students have a lot of practical experience by the time they graduate,” Carver said.

At the New York College program, students complete 1,000 hours of supervised acupuncture training at the school’s teaching clinic.

“Students talk with the patients and have a very intimate information exchange,” Carver said. “They learn how to diagnose and how to choose what points to use.”

Admissions requirements vary by program, but most schools require approximately two years of college-level education. New York College of Health Professions, which has three locations in Manhattan, requires 60 college credits, but does not require applicants to have a degree.

“We look at how well they did in science,” Carver said. “If they didn’t do well, they’re probably going to struggle with some of the courses. We also look to see if the students have an interest in helping people.”

Carver said she believes the field is growing. She said the program at New York College of Health Professions has seen an increase in enrollment in recent years.

After completing a master’s program, students must complete examinations through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. In New York, acupuncturists are also required to take the Clean Needle Technique course. Once a person has fulfilled all education and exam requirements, they can apply for licensure through the New York State Education Department.

Many acupuncturists decide to open their own practice, but some go on get a job within an existing practice. Hospitals and spas are also hiring acupuncturists now, Carver said. Acupuncturists also often work in practices alongside chiropractors and massage therapists.

Raupp said she always knew she wanted to open her own practice. She said she rented space, and her dad bought furniture for the office. She started off slowly, but she says through hard work and word of mouth, business picked up.

“I always had the entrepreneur thing in me,” she said. “If you know how to build a business, you can have a successful practice.”