Your participation is important election is appreciated.

Sincerely,
FHCA
12/12/01

FAIR HARBOR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
DUNEWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

CANDIDATES: 

___  Alma Blitz   ablitz@att.net  201 670 8225

___  Kenneth Levites doc@levites.com       631 244 8324      

___  Chuck Urso      Chuck11030@aol.com 212 656 2466

Voter Name  _____________      FI Address_____________

BALLOTS MUST BE RETURNED NO LATER THAN 12/4/01
We encourage you to communicate with the candidates either by Email or Fax with any questions you may have about their qualifications or positions

Fair Harbor-Dunewood Medical District 

BACKGROUND

The Medical District was established to provide urgent medical services to the communities of Fair Harbor and Dunewood during the summer season (July 4^th to Labor Day).  The physicians engaged are expected to treat non-critical illnesses and accidents.  When a patient cannot be treated on-site the physicians are expected to stabilize the patient and arrange for transportation to the mainland.

The Fair Harbor-Dunewood Medical District was founded by an act of the NYS legislature in 1984.  The Town of Islip actually runs the district, collects taxes and disburses monies.  The District has a Deputy Commissioner (DC) appointed by the Town based on recommendations from the communities, and a Medical Director who is appointed by the Town in consultation with the DC. 

OPERATIONS

The Medical District is responsible for obtaining doctors who will provide emergency medical care to the Fair Harbor Dunewood community.  The district owns two buildings in Fair Harbor; the Medical Clinic, and the doctor’s house, both located on Pine Walk in Fair Harbor (next to the old Fire House).  The district does not pay doctors to provide medical services.  The arrangement is the doctors who provide services are provided with free housing for themselves and their family at the Doctor’s house during the period (minimum one week) when they are providing services.  All medical equipment and supplies are the responsibility of the Medical district.  The District is responsible for or maintenance and repairs on both buildings.  The district is also responsible for funding the Deer Tick/Lyme Disease abatement programs, and participating in the Mosquito control efforts. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

The DC has no direct medical responsibilities.  Insuring that the doctors who support the district have appropriate qualifications is the responsibility of Medical Director (MD). 

The role of the DC is to:

·        Set the administrative policy including; coverage hours, fees, and response time parameters,

·        Select in conjunction with the Medical Director the doctors who will serve in the district,

·        Monitor in conjunction with the MD the performance of the doctors to insure an appropriate level of medical coverage,

·        Prepare the annual budget,

·        Furnish and stock the clinic facilities,

·        Insure the maintenance and repair of the district facilities,

·        Add and upgrade facilities as appropriate,

·        Maintain close coordination with other medical services both on and off island,

·        Report to the communities as to the status and policies of the district. 

THE ELECTION

Ralph Brozan has held the DC position since the inception of the district in 1984.  He has declined to run in this election.  In the past the DC has had no fixed term of office.  Recently a number of issues regarding the Medical District have arisen such that the FHCA and the Dunewood Community Association feel that it is appropriate to hold an election for this position.  This will give the communities a chance to set a new direction for the Medical District. 

 As part of this election process the communities have decided that there should be a three (3) year term for the office.  The communities will hold elections per that plan. 

The election will be held by mail ballot, one per household.  The voters will be all homeowners for which the Fair Harbor Community Association and the Dunewood Property Owners Associations have mailing addresses.  In the case of Fair Harbor this will include homeowners who are not FHCA members.  Note that the 2002 budget process for the district has already been completed so this election will not affect the 2002 budget.

FOLLOWING ARE POSITION PAPERS PREPARED BY THE CANDIDATES 

THE CANDIDATES

 Alma Blitz 

I have been a Physician for 40 years. Trained in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in New York at: Mount Sinai/Beth Israel, New York University/Bellevue Hospital and Columbia University/Presbyterian Hospital; I have done research at The Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology (Worcester, Mass), NY Medical College and Columbia University. I practiced pediatrics in NYC where I started and directed, for eight years, the “Medical Center for Children and their Families”. This job required serious medical standards setting and extensive administrative tasks. I later developed a large practice in Hackensack New Jersey and I still have full admitting privileges as Senior Attending at Hackensack University Medical Center. I have held appointments to the Faculties of Mount Sinai Medical School (8 years) and Columbia University Medical School (13 years). I have served in Quality Assurance, Medical Records, Patient Education, Medical Education, Physicians Credentials, Disasters, Toxic Exposures and Epidemics Committees in Hospitals and HMOs. 

My Public Service activities range from Physician Health Broadcaster for PBS, Channels 41 and 47, radio WADO and JIT to member of the Board of the Respiratory Health Association and the New Jersey Pediatric Society.  Recently I finished my courses for a Masters in Human Nutrition at Columbia University. My husband and I are Fair Harbor homeowners for 29 years and our three sons Marc, Jeffrey and Andrew grew up in Fair Harbor. Thus, we have seen the Medical District develop and experienced it as patients. I have also witnessed and was sometimes involved in helping in some of the most critical medical emergencies we had.

Some of my goals for the Fair Harbor/Dunewood Medical district are:

1)      Explore the best form of medical service for our needs: primary care vs. emergency physicians. I will only keep the present arrangement if it seems to be the best. 

2)    Restore if possible, the old system of coverage that included the spring and the fall.  

3)    Computerize the clinic for: a) medical records keeping and to provide the residents of Fair Harbor and Dunewood with copies of medical encounters, to bring to their primary care doctors. B) Develop a chart # system that will allow the residents to maintain, as much as possible, their privacy in the computerized medical records system. The computer will also serve to keep financial and maintenance records for the doctor’s house and the clinic. c) Store and update “Clinical Evidence Standards” to help the practicing physicians. d) An Internet connection would help the doctor communicate with medical libraries and hospitals. 

4)    Explore the mechanics of developing an invoice for the residents so that they have the cost of the visits reimbursed by their insurance plans and HMOs if they so desire.  

5)    Try to work out delivery systems by pharmacies that will permit the residents to use their prescription plans. 

6)    Explore the possibility of transfer of stabilized patients to hospitals of their choice. The mechanics of this transfer will need to be individually prearranged. 

7)    Form a committee to help with the multiple tasks of the medical district.

I first must state that I am strongly opposed to electing a Deputy Health Commissioner who is also a doctor in the clinic even if he works here only one week in the summer.  The person hired to do the job cannot be the same as the one developing the job description.

 I believe that a big job as already been done since the creation of the Medical District appropriate to the standards of care during that period. Being in some of the major Academic Centers in the NY metropolitan area I have been made aware of the enormous advances in Health Delivery Systems for areas, like ours, were the fully equipped Hospital Emergency Rooms are not in the immediate vicinity.

 Transport out of the island, mostly at night, may cause delays that require a very good first response system.  This will allow us to better stabilize patients, perhaps with the help of tele-medical connections, while we wait for transport.  In addition video-conferencing with specialists (tertiary care) may prevent some patients from having to leave the Island for simple consultations and so ruin their vacation.

The medical history is most important for good health care delivery. Harvard University has started a Web-based medical records repository that provides patient information, requested from geographically distant sites.  A system like this one would allow residents of our towns confidentiality and easy access with a personal code when needed.

I think that an organized clinic will make it easier for us to recruit and/or retain good doctors and reduce their liability.

I will like to explore all possibilities and try to accomplish them within our available budget.   

Thanks,

Ken Levites

Why is Ken Levites the most qualified candidate for Deputy Commissioner?

·I am the only candidate who has actually served as a Fair Harbor M.D. and knows the problems inside and out!—over 10 years of experience at the Fair Harbor-Dunewood Medical District 

·I am the only candidate who knows the local hospitals and has the Suffolk contacts needed to administer the district.—on the staffs of both Southside and Good Samaritan Hospitals, an officer at the Suffolk County Medical Society plus a local practice for 24 years. 

·I am the only candidate with an ongoing relationship with the Town of Islip’s fiscal manager who controls the Medical District.—have worked with the Assistant Comptroller regarding possible budgetary plans and current facilities management. 

·I am the only candidate who knows the current staff of Fair Harbor Medical physicians professionally.—most work with me at the local hospitals.  I know their strengths and weaknesses.

 ·I am the only candidate who lives in Islip and has access to physically manage the district on-site year ‘round.--am present at Fair Harbor pre and post season and even mid-winter plus live 2 minutes from Town Hall and 8 minutes from the ferry.

The bio:  I am a board certified Family Physician who has practiced for 24 years in West Sayville, just across the Bay.  In addition to working at both Good Sam and Southside Hospitals, which serve Fair Harbor, I have just retired after 13 years as Director of Family Medicine at Southside.  I served as Medical Director of Newsday for 11 years and have been a medical consultant for the Town of Islip.  I live in Islip hamlet and have a house at 86 Bay in Fair Harbor.  One wife, one dog, one cat, two boys.

Initial goals: 

1)      extend the period of service to include all pre and post season weekends 

2)    staff with all Primary Care physicians from this area who know the local medical structure   

3)    facilitate physician response time/availability in emergencies including motorized response   

4)    better community interface including input, signage, web site info and relationship with FHCA and DPOA

Ken intends to remain a practicing doctor participating in the Medical District program if he is elected as Deputy Medical Director.   FHCA

Charles J. Urso, MD

BRIEF BIO 

OCCUPATION:  PHYSICIAN 

LICENSED:  NEW YORK STATE # 113857

SPECIALTY:  INTERNAL MEDICINE/ PREVENTIVE & OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

RESIDENCE:  MANHASSET/PORTWASHINGTON 21 yrs

FAIR HARBOR, FIRE ISLAND 17 YEARS.

EXPERIENCE: 

1995-PRESENT:  COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SERVICES AS

                   ASSOCIATE MEDICAL DIRECTOR.  DUTIES ARE

                   ADMINISTRATIVE, SITE SUPERVISION AND MEDICAL.

1975-1995     MEDICAL DIRECTOR NY TELEPHONE, NYNEX, BELL ATLANTIC. DUTIES INCLUDED SUPERVISION (staff size as large as 75), ADMINISTRATIVE, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL AS MEDICAL DUTIES.

1985-PRESENT SERVE AS A CONSULTANT IN INTERNAL

                   AND OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE AT LOUIS LASKY   

                    MEDICAL CENTER AND THE UNITED STATES POSTAL  SERVICE.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

1982-1988 C.A.C. BOARD OF GOVERNORS VILLAGE FLOWER HILL 

1988-1994 SCHOOL BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE MANHASSET UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

1988- PRESENT DEPARTMENT SURGEON MANHASSET-LAKEVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT COVERING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS IN FIVE FIRE COMPANIES AS WELL AS AN AMBULANCE UNIT.  RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION TO MEET THE OSHA AND NFPA GUIDELINES.  I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THEIR MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE AND RESPIRATOR PROGRAMS AS WELL AS DOT CERTIFICATION OF THE COVERED DRIVERS. 

ARTICLES:

NEWSWEEK MAY 1999:  “REPETITIVE MOTION ILLNESS”

NEWSWEEK MAY 2000:  “ULTIMATE  VACATION CHECKLIST, DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT:

I believe that community service is a privilege.  If elected Deputy Commissioner of Health of  Fair Harbor-Dunewood I could combine my medical knowledge and years of medical administrative skills to the benefit of our communities.