BY JASON COHEN
As Bronxites are slowly recovering
from the pandemic
and getting vaccinated,
Woodlawn residents received
a bombshell last month that
has shaken the community.
On March 15, Boston Children’s
Health Physicians announced
that General Pediatrics
at Woodlawn, 4350 Van
Cortlandt Park E., would be
shuttering its doors April 30.
It has been there for about
15 years and as many as 200
families will now have to fi nd
new doctors.
Needless to say this has
angered many parents.
The nonprofi t, Women of
Woodlawn, held a rally April
16, where they pleaded for the
offi ce to remain open. Kim
Furletti, president of the organization,
told the Bronx
Times that moms and dads
are upset and are in disbelief
this would happen.
“You’re playing with people’s
lives here right in the
middle of the pandemic,”
she stated. “They don’t care
whatsoever about the Woodlawn
community.”
According to Furletti, families
were completely caught
off guard by this news and
no idea it was coming. She
explained that this is a geographically
isolated neighborhood
with many people
that don’t drive, so getting to
the closest pediatrician operated
by BCHP in Riverdale or
Westchester is not easy.
“They’re still trying to
push this narrative that care
is only a few minutes away,”
she stressed. “Why would
anybody want to follow them
to a new location?”
Furletti reached out to Assemblyman
Jeffrey Dinowitz
and Senator Alessandra
Biaggi’s offi ces who discovered
that the facility’s lease
was up April 30 and the site
was deemed not profi table.
Dinowitz attended the
rally earlier this month
and is disgusted that BCHP
would shutter Woodlawn Pediatrics.
Standing with the #Woodlawn
community and @womenofwoodlawn
this morning
BRONX TIMES R 68 EPORTER, MAY 7-13, 2021 BTR
to speak out against the
closing of General Pediatrics
at Woodlawn. I’m disheartened
by @BostonChildrens
decision to close this offi ce,
which has offered such vital
services to families in our
community. pic.twitter.com/
OQIItGyDZL
— Jeffrey Dinowitz (@JeffreyDinowitz)
April 16, 2021
In April, the Women of
Woodlawn launched a petition
to save Woodlawn Pediatrics
and so far it has
garnered more than 1,000
signatures.
“The location of this offi
ce, in an area with a higher
rate of uninsured residents
(25%), as opposed to other
areas served by Boston Children’s
Health Physicians,
begs the question as to the
true motivations behind this
closure,” the petition states.
“Sending this notification
solely via email, and only
in English, in a community
where not everyone speaks
English or has internet access
is a further disservice
to patients. With roughly six
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz speaks at the rally hosted by the Women
of Woodlawn protesting the closure of the Pediatrics at Woodlawn
Courtesy of Twitter
weeks notice to both staff and
families, many will be left
without a provider on April
30. This aggressive timeline
is not enough to ensure this
community is being cared
for properly, especially during
a global pandemic.”
Residents expressed
stressed why the facility
needs to remain open.
This office has taken care
of my children for 16 years
with the upmost professionalism,
love and attention,”
said Michelle Ely. “Not only
are they my pediatricians
but they are our friends and
a huge part of this community.
We need this office to
remain open and allow these
doctors to continue their
amazing work taking care of
our children.”
General Pediatrics of
Woodlawn shutters its doors
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