Bayside Senior Center is reopening at low capacity following COVID-19 pandemic closure.
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | SEPT. 17 - SEPT. 23, 2021
New York Cancer
& Blood Specialists
welcomes new doctor
to Bayside team
BY JENNA BAGCAL
On Monday, Aug. 30, the
New York Cancer & Blood
Specialists welcomed a new
doctor to the team at its Bayside
office.
The oncology practice
announced the addition of
board-certified oncologisthematologist
and New York
native Daniel Kyung, MD.
According to NYCBS, Kyung
will see patients at 45-64
Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite
202. Before joining NYCBS,
Kyung was at the University
of California, Irvine
(UCI) as an a assistant
clinical professor and also
a Chao Family Comprehensive
Cancer Center member.
Members of the practice
said that Kyung, who speaks
fluent Korean, is “committed
to providing comprehensive
and compassionate cancer
care to Bayside’s diverse
patient population.”
“We proudly welcome
Dr. Kyung to our network of
skilled hematology-oncology
specialists. His passion for
cutting-edge technology, research
and patient-centered
care will help us continue
to bring world-class cancer
care to the community,”
NYCBS CEO Jeff Vacirca,
MD said.
In a written statement,
Kyung said that he always
knew he wanted to work in
a field where he could “help
people in a meaningful way
and give back to my community.”
As a lover of both science
and technology, he said
that becoming a doctor allowed
him to combine these
passions to have a “gratifying
career.”
His medical journey began
at the American University
of Antigua, where he
earned his doctor of medicine.
He then completed his
internal medicine residency
at Drexel University/Hahnemann
University Hospital
and his hematology/oncology
fellowship at UCI.
Kyung is also an active
member of numerous medical
societies like the American
Society of Clinical Oncology
and the American
Society of Hematology.
“I grew up in New York,
and I am excited to join
NYCBS to build relationships
with the patients and
the community,” Kyung said.
My patients will have a partner
and guide in me to listen
to them and their families
during what can be an overwhelming
process. They will
also have a physician who is
wholly committed to providing
the best possible care and
treatment.”
To make an appointment
with Dr. Kyung, call 718-975-
6666.
BY ERIN YOON
As the vaccinated population
sees a steady increase in
Queens, more facilities and
programs are becoming accessible
to the public again.
Bayside Senior Center has
also reopened — although
with restrictions.
“We are currently operating
at about 35% capacity and
still practicing social distancing,”
said Pang Chu, Bayside
Senior Center’s program manager,
upon being asked about
the extent to which the center
is currently operating.
One of the center’s adjustments
as a result of the COVID
19 pandemic is that they
now offer a grab-and-go option
for meals, which was never
done before the closure. Seniors
that wish to eat at the
center may do so after calling
in advance, but only two seniors
can sit at each table. Before
the pandemic, there were
between six and eight seats
per table, explained Chu.
The center’s volunteers
have also returned to serve
meals and assist visitors.
“It definitely feels weird
volunteering at the center
with very few people,” said
Andres Martinez, a volunteer
and senior at Benjamin N.
Cardozo High School. “When
I volunteered before the pandemic,
there were so many
people taking part in activities
and the center was always
busy. Hopefully more seniors
will come to the center soon;
I’d love to see the dance floor
filled up again.”
As the pandemic invaded
opportunities for social interaction
and extended time at
home due to closures of public
facilities, seniors claimed to
have frequently experienced
sentiments of isolation and
emptiness.
“I’ve been volunteering
here since 2005, so I know a
lot of people,” said Pat Walton,
a senior volunteer. “And
I missed everyone while the
center was closed.”
Photo courtesy of Pang Chu
Life during the pandemic
was lonely, Walton said.
The long days were spent
watching television and occasionally
speaking to people
on the phone. But she was
lucky to have a friend take her
shopping for food on a regular
basis.
Now, seniors are able to
greet each other and find a
small escape from the social
isolation brought on by
the pandemic. Small-group
dance and exercise classes
take place in the morning,
and seniors can also
interact with each other during
a round of karaoke in the
afternoon.
The Bayside Senior Center
looks forward to the day in
which it will welcome seniors
at full capacity, without COVID
related restrictions. But
for now, they take satisfaction
in the major step it took to reopen
after a long period of closure.
“Yay! It feels great to be
back,” Walton exclaimed.
DANIEL KYUNG, MD
Bayside Senior Center sees
progress in its reopening
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