BY CAROLINE OURSO
One Brooklyn Health-
Brookdale distributed 1,000
bags of produce and dried
goods to the Brownsville
community on Friday in a
special Martin Luther King
Day installment of their ongoing
food giveaway program.
“We’re partnering with
Greater New York Links and
Food Bank NYC to distribute
a total of 1,000 packages
of both dried goods and produce
to the community,” said
Dr. Sandra Scott, executive
director of OBH-Brookdale.
“We have one Links sister
who works in the Food Bank,
so we’ve been able to coordinate
a lot of food distributions
through her assistance,”
said Dr. Nanette Thomas, a
Links member for 19 years.
Links, an international
Black women’s service organization,
COURIER L 34 IFE, JANUARY 21-27, 2022
is “primarily based
on service and friendship,”
said Thomas, “and of course
we’re always interested in
helping when there are major
issues, especially like the
COVID outbreak.”
Since the onset of the pandemic,
the doctors said, OBHBrookdale
has given out
15,000 bags to the community
— and the healthcare organization
has also given back to
its employees.
“Particularly when things
were bad in 2020,” said Scott.
“We’ve been doing food distribution
for the entire pandemic.”
Both doctors feel the need
for food giveaways such as
theirs has been downplayed
by the media.
“I feel like it’s very understated
in the media how much
people are struggling,” Scott
told Brooklyn Paper. “Every
time we’ve done this, people
are extremely grateful, and
they need the food.”
Area Congressmember
Hakeem Jeffries and several
of his staff members joined
the event to help volunteers
in doling out the bags of food,
some of which were also delivered
to assisted living homes.
Another portion of the distribution
occurred at four different
community churches.
“There are not a lot of supermarkets
in this neighborhood,
L-R) Dr. Nanette Thomas, US Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Dr. Sandra Scott
smile with a sampling of the food One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale distributed
to the community on Jan. 14. Photo by Caroline Ourso
really only bodegas,”
said Thomas, “so it’s an opportunity
for families to get
some fresh vegetables.”
Many who came to Friday’s
donation event were
hospital patients who heard
about it via word of mouth.
“Given our attention to
more of the politics and the
science around the pandemic,
I don’t think these kinds of
giveaways are really being
highlighted so much,” Scott
said, adding that she sees a
need for them, still.
“We see that the people
who show up really need
the food. Regardless of the
weather, people show up.”
Health
OBH-Brookdale gives
back to Brownsville at
MLK-driven food drive
The New Year is the time to take stock of
your health. Start with your eyes. January is
“Glaucoma Awareness Month”. It’s the perfect
time to make an appointment with your eye
doctor for your annual eye exam.
Glaucoma is a silent disease; there are no
symptoms, no pain. The only pain a patient
feels is the pain of irreversible loss of vision.
Unfortunately by the time vision loss occurs,
the damage is irreversible. A visit to your eye
doctor is essential to detect if you have any risk
factors and clinical signs of glaucoma. Another
eye disease that can be aided by early detection
which is the leading cause of blindness
in the United States is Agerelated Macular
Degeneration. In the Agerelated Degeneration
Study, known as AREDS, it was shown that
vitamins containing zinc, Vitamins A, C and E
help to slow down the progression of macular
degeneration.
In the second phase of this study known as
AREDS 2, fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids), lutein
and zeaxanthin, have been added to the trial’s
vitamins. Dr. Fell is a specialist in the treatment
of medical diseases of the retina. She treats
patients with wet macular degeneration with
multiple and different injections known to stop
the progression of this disease.
Patients often ask what they can do to
prevent eye disease. Eating healthy foods,
exercising regularly, not indulging in cigarette
smoking and visiting your doctors regularly is
the best way to start. Early detection of any
disease and prevention of disease is often
the best way to stay healthy. Taking fish oils,
specifi cally omega-3 fatty acids in a triglyceride
form has been shown to reduce heart disease,
atherosclerotic disease and cholesterol levels.
They have also been shown to improve joint
function, hair and skin. They have been shown
to help decrease the incidence of dry eyes
and improve blepharitis, a chronic condition
in which there is constant eyelid crusting and
infl ammation. They are also thought to help
slow the progression of macular degeneration.
Brighton Eye is a state-of-theart eye care
facility complete with the latest diagnostic and
therapeutic equipment. Most insurance plans
are accepted. Just check with the professional,
friendly staff when you call for an appointment.
Dr. Fell is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist,
working in Brooklyn for over thirty years and
committed to the total well-being of her
patients. She is fellowship trained in medical
diseases of the retina and is also an expert
cataract surgeon.
BRIGHTON EYE
718-339-6868
Millie R. Fell, MD, FACS
BRIGHTON EYE
WELCOMES
DANIEL POLLA, MD
Dr. Millie Fell, founder
of Brighton Eye, is excited
to announce that Daniel
Polla, MD has joined the
Brighton Eye family.
Dr. Polla is a Board-
Certifi ed and fellowshiptrained
ophthalmologist
who specializes in cataract
and cornea surgery.
He performs laser-assisted
and traditional cataract
surgery as well as
astigmatism-correcting
(toric) and multifocal lens
implants, partial and fullthickness
corneal transplants
(DMEK, DSAEK,
PK, KPro), intraocular
lens complication procedures,
and other corneal
procedures. He received
his Bachelor of Science
degree from Cornell University
and his medical
degree from SUNY Downstate
College of Medicine,
where he was elected to
the Alpha Omega Alpha
Medical Honor society.
He then completed an internship
in internal medicine
at Lenox Hill Hospital
(Northwell Health) and an
ophthalmology residency
at Albert Einstein College
of Medicine. Following
residency training, he
Clinical Assistant Professor
of Ophthalmology NYU
elected to complete additional
fellowship training
in cornea, external eye
diseases, and refractive
surgery at Manhattan Eye,
Ear & Throat Hospital.
Dr. Polla has published
multiple peer-reviewed
manuscripts, book chapters,
and research abstracts.
He is a member
of multiple professional
organizations including
the American Academy
of Ophthalmology. He is
on staff at Jacobi Medical
Center, where he teaches
residents cataract and
cornea surgery and New
York University Medical
Center in Manhattan.
Dr. Fell is excited to
begin this new association
and welcomes you to
visit both of us at Brighton
Eye.
Visit our state-of-the-art facility located at 2025 Kings Hwy
www.brightoneye.com
Most insurances accepted
CELEBRATING OVER 30 YEARS OF CARING FOR BROOKLYN’S EYES!
/www.brightoneye.com
/www.brightoneye.com