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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 12 April 2023

Created: 12 April 2023

Last Updated: 12 April 2023

Hits: 2196

Greenacres resident, mother and physician Kimberly Greene-Liebowitz recently co-edited a book of personal essays from female physicians working in diverse fields of medicine around the world. Liebowitz and Dr. Dana Corriel invited colleagues in the field to share their thoughts and experiences on training to be a doctor, barriers to career advancement and success and the challenge of balancing demanding professional lives with domestic responsibilities, highlighted during the. COVID-19 pandemic.

“What We Bring to the Practice of Medicine” includes 40 essays about which Dr. Suzanne Koven says, “Some are sad, funny, infuriating or inspiring. All are unforgettable.”

The book is published by Kent State University Press and is available in print or audio. See the links below.

We spoke to Greene-Liebowitz about the book and her experiences as a parent in Scarsdale and here is what she shared:

What inspired you to write the book?

Dana Corriel, my partner in this project, came up with the idea. She had started to see some collections of writings by women physicians and wanted to create something curated and edited. She had started to solicit submissions when I reached out to her to discuss the book. We realized during that conversation that we balanced each other out well, so we decided to partner up. She's got a very big social media audience and her own company, so she's able to publicize in a way that I am not. Our alliance has broadened our contacts. I have experience with writing and revising, have taken multiple writing classes and written several books, so I bring writing and editing skills to the table. While it wasn't my idea at the beginning, I have found it a fascinating experience - I've met a lot of people, seen a snapshot of others' experiences, and been able to bring these stories to the public. Given all the issues around healthcare, I think these essays offer incredible value by humanizing physicians and allowing those considering a career in healthcare to see what it looks like for women who are literally "in the trenches."

Who is the target audience?

The target audience includes those interested in learning more about the challenges facing women physicians; parents of girls interested in STEM fields; women physicians and their supporters; and anyone who has known or been cared for by a female physician. It's edited for a lay audience, and relatable for non-physician providers, so we would be thrilled to see interest from others as well.

How did the pandemic influence the content and the process for having it published?

We started the project before the pandemic, and then when things really took off in March 2020, we had to try to work on the book with kids and spouses at home. Our physician-authors were working incredibly hard so getting edits back was difficult, delaying book completion and proposal submission. Once we started submitting, though, I imagine our process was the same as everyone else's. I just looked back over the email file where I keep the rejections, and it felt like there were a ton, but really, there weren't so many. With regard to the pandemic: I made the decision that we needed to include a piece about the pandemic, and that's Katharine Miao's essay. It's a beautiful snapshot of those early months when we were watching COVID race across the globe, wondering when it would strike.

How did you go about recruiting the other physicians to write to select topics?

Dana runs a company called SoMeDocs. She posted a request for submissions on all the social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) associated with her company, including her website (doctorsonsocialmedia.com); and together we posted requests for submission under our own handles on physician-only social media groups on Facebook. In addition, we reached out to people we knew personally or who we had "met" in these physician groups to seek submissions.

How has the experience for becoming a doctor changed for women since you did your training?Dr. Kimberly Greene-Leibowitz

Oh, lord... that's a long conversation. First, there are more women entering medical school than there were before. In 2019, for the first time, the number of women matriculating exceeded the number of men. So the demographics of medicine have been shifting. Fields that were very male-dominated have become less so; when I was in medical school, emergency physicians were described as adrenaline junkies who carried scalpels and emergency airway kits in their pockets. If you look at this caricature from Dr. Glaucomflecken, you'll see the stereotype. I don't think that's true anymore, and that's just my specialty.

With a broader lens, medicine is different because things that were tolerated in the past are no longer standard. I wrote an essay about this in the book - but we had no "me too" and locker room humor was standard. I prided myself on being "one of the guys" and that's just how things were at the time. I can't speak for others, of course, but my perception is that a lot of that has changed. The locker-room humor has definitely disappeared. Now there is talk about providing places for women to pump while breastfeeding which NEVER would have happened in the 90s. There's still a lot of places that don't offer maternity leave to residents, but it is expected that attendings will have maternity leave. There is better understanding of the differential demands on women, and some places - such as University of Penn - have changed the whole way they structure tenure to accommodate this. At Penn, those seeking tenure can take a three year path or a six year path. The longer path allows for outside commitments - young children, aging parents, etc.

How has your perspective as a physician affected your experience of being a mother in Scarsdale … what do you like about the community and the schools and what would you like to see changed?

Again, this is a long, complicated answer. I'm going to answer it in pieces:

A - It's a lot easier to be a mother when you're a physician, because there is so much you can manage at home without seeking help. It's also a little paranoia-inducing, if you let it be, because you know all the terrible things that can happen. And it alters the way your kids are treated. When my son was five days old, he had what was called an ALTE at that time - an Apparent Life Threatening Event. Basically, he became cyanotic, but it looked so different from anything I could have anticipated that it took me a moment to realize what it was. He then spent fifteen days at Westchester Medical Center, being worked up for all manner of horrible things. The last thing they tested him for before we were discharged was something called Congenital Hypoventilation Syndrome. It affects about 1000 people worldwide. I have no doubt he was tested for that because I was a physician. That's not a test they're offering to the standard patient.

B - As for being a mother in Scarsdale... I have had my share of people asking for medical advice in weird places (birthday parties, ice cream stores, school plays) but the biggest impact on my experience in Scarsdale has been during the past few years. I'm going to try not to ruffle too many feathers but... I have a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, and one of the best skills I acquired during that master's program was learning how to really read a study, understand statistics, and understand data quality. The bottom line is that not all studies are created equal, and you can a) always make statistics lie and b) say whatever you want in the abstract, even if it bears little resemblance to your actual results. This has made me much more critical of medical information provided by agencies, professional associations, etc. As a result, I had a lot of difficulty with the medical decisions made by the district during the pandemic. They felt rooted in advice from agencies rather than in data from studies, and in spite of my best efforts to get the district to permit the creation of a medical advisory board, they rejected my efforts. I worked with Rich Schutzer on that, and I like to think that if we'd had a team of physicians, we might not have made choices I agreed with 100%, but we also would have considered issues not adequately evaluated by the district. Further, the person who the district relied on for medical decisions is a retired pediatrician who advises seventeen districts and, by his own admission, left clinical practice because there were too many changes. It felt (and continues to feel) very irresponsible to me.

C - Community: in many places, being a physician makes it hard to fit in - it makes you "different." It's nice to be in a place where it's just my job, not something that puts me on a pedestal.

D - Change: As above with the district. They need better (and more!) medical advisors, because medicine/healthcare is complicated. They need people who are parents of kids it the district - not just grandparents - because we have a different perspective and risk calculus. The truth is that a team works better than an individual in nearly all cases. With a broader lens, i.e. not just considering the medical advisory issue, I think the district should be thinking about mental health, physical health, and learning in a completely different way. There should be a more global view that incorporates the entire K-12 structure. For example, there are still a lot of kids with pandemic-associated anxiety. This can result in more days of school missed, more stomach and headaches, greater disability, greater risk for failure. It can't be fixed with one or two counselors or the same medical advisor. How do you take a global approach to helping kids manage anxiety from the time they are very little? Is it an in-class approach? Holding more kids back? Reducing demands so some kids graduate in five years? Is it biofeedback? Group support? Reducing what we expose young kids to so they are less stressed? We aren't doing any of that.

Buy the book here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/What-Bring-Practice-Medicine-Perspectives/dp/1606354493
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-we-bring-to-the-practice-of-medicine-kimberly-greene-liebowitz/1142637933
Bronx River Books: https://www.bronxriverbooks.com/book/9781606354490
Kent State: https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2022/20652/

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 17 April 2023

Created: 17 April 2023

Last Updated: 01 June 2023

Hits: 2009

Tickets are now on sale for the 3rd Annual Scarsdale Music Festival (SMF), presented by Morgan Stanley. This exceptional, family-friendly community event will take place on Saturday, June 3rd, rain or shine, in Scarsdale Village from 12-7pm. Join us for a festive day full of live music, food, drinks, and family fun activities for people of all ages. Purchase your tickets here.

SMF is designed to bring the community together by celebrating its love of music with local bands and musicians who love to perform. This year’s incredible talent line-up includes Alex Cano, BOMBZR, Conversing with Oceans, Gentlemen of Soul LSM, Rennie Pincus & Friends with Lovelight, Rachel Bochner, Skyfactor, The Del Bocas, The Velcrows, and NYS Music Festival winner Mainline. These spectacular bands will be performing on two live stages, presented by Advocate Brokerage Corp. with Pure Insurance, Houlihan Lawrence, and Pepe Auto Group.

Scarsdale Music Festival will feature a selection of savory and sweet offerings from Green Street Food Truck, Longfords Ice Cream, Meritage, One Rare Italian Steakhouse, Pizza Vitale Truck, Poke Motion Truck, Popojito, Rockland’s Kettle Corn Truck, and Westchester Burger Truck. In addition, the Scarsdale Police Benevolent Association will host its annual BBQ Bash, and the Scarsdale Uniformed Firefighters Association will be serving brisket and pulled pork sandwiches.

Guests can wash down all that delicious food with a cool drink! Attendees 21+ can enjoy great beer and wine by the glass, available for purchase at two main bars. New for 2023, attendees can consume alcoholic beverages throughout the event venue. The Grand Tasting Tent, presented by Zachys, will feature a selection of fine wines from around the world, spirit cocktails and craft beer. Guests will have the chance to taste, talk and learn from industry experts in this uniquely curated tasting event. It is a VIP experience with prime stage viewing not to be missed!

This year’s expanded Family Fun Zone is presented by Scarsdale Moms, and will feature numerous vendors and activities geared towards pre-school and elementary-aged children, including balloon artists, face painters, arts and crafts, DIY slime, beading, STEAM activities, sports, music demonstrations and more! Participating vendors and community partners include: Crestwood Music, Faces by Wells, Fenom Fit, Hoff-Barthelson Music School, Kids in Sports, Never Stop Moving 365, Pizzazzles, Scattered Books, Scarsdale Forum, SNAP (Scarsdale Neighborhood Association Presidents), Shake it Off, Splash Lab New Jersey, Sparklicious, Stemsory, and Treat Party. Fan favorite Scarsdale Police and Fire Vehicles will also be present along with the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps for safety tips, tours and more!

“We are thrilled to rejoin the Scarsdale Music Festival as its presenting sponsor for the third time in as many years,” said Sandra L. Richards, Managing Director and Head of Global Sports & Entertainment at Morgan Stanley. “Last year’s event was a wonderful celebration of diversity and culture through music, food and fun that galvanized the Greater Westchester Community to come out and spend a day grooving with friends, family and loved ones. We look forward to enjoying the third annual Festival this summer!”

Scarsdale Music Festival will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the Center for Cancer Care at White Plains Hospital. Our donation will help fund their mission to provide third-party transportation for better access to appointments and provide specialized staff as "screening navigators" to assist in understanding the cancer treatment process.

“We are so appreciative that the Scarsdale Business Alliance has chosen the White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care as the beneficiary of this year’s Scarsdale Music Festival. It is our mission to care for our community, but it is really our community that cares for and supports each other, and we look forward to celebrating with our friends and neighbors at this wonderful event,” said Jill Schulmann, Senior Director of Operations at the White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care.

SMF is a free community event, with a suggested minimum donation of $10 per adult. Kids’ wristbands are available for purchase ($35 in advance/$40 on-site) to participate in most of the Family Fun Zone activities. In order to consume alcohol, you must show ID to prove that you are over 21. Beer ($8) and wine ($10) will be available for purchase by the glass on-site. Entrance to the Grand Tasting Tent requires a designated wristband ($30 in advance/$35 on-site). All food and non-alcoholic beverages are pay-as-you-go.

This year’s SMF features a “Pick a Prize Raffle.” In addition to the sought after guitars from Rudy’s Music, this year’s prizes include gift cards for shopping and dining, certificates redeemable for health, beauty and wellness services as well as select tangible items. Raffle tickets may be purchased in advance or on-site individually for $10 or packages of six for $50.

Attendees can choose which raffle prize(s) they want to enter into the draw for and how many of their tickets they want to put towards each prize.

Donation tickets, wristbands and raffle tickets are now on sale: scarsdalemusicfestival.com. Tickets will also be available for purchase on-site at the Festival by cash or credit card.

FREE PARKING is available in the Freightway Garage and adjacent outdoor parking lot (72 Freightway) as well as the lower two levels of the Christie Place Garage (64 East Parkway).

The SBA is delighted about its continued partnership with the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) to make SMF a zero-waste event.

The SBA is thankful to all the 2023 SMF event sponsors for their generous support. Presenting Sponsor: Morgan Stanley; The Live Stages are presented by Advocate Brokerage Corp. with Pure, Houlihan Lawrence & Pepe Auto Group; The Grand Tasting Tent is presented by Zachys; The Family Fun Zone is presented by Scarsdale Moms; Platinum sponsors: Compass, Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, M.S. Walker, Scarsdale Improvement Corp., Partyline Rentals, Spencer East Realty, The UPS Store; Gold sponsors: Douglas Elliman, GameChanger, Neave Group Outdoor Solutions, Scarsdale Security; Silver Sponsors: Creative Rajni, Mark Jessamy Photography, NYS Music, Rudy's Music, Veterinary Emergency Group, Westchester Magazine. All event sponsors and vendors listed as of 4/14/23.

The Scarsdale Music Festival is a not-to-be missed experience! The SBA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Village of Scarsdale and its local businesses.

For event information and tickets: www.scarsdalemusicfestival.com and follow us on Instagram @scarsdalemusicfestival. For sponsorship opportunities: info@scarsdalebusinessalliance.com.

For information about the Scarsdale Business Alliance: www.scarsdalebusinessalliance.com and follow us on Instagram @scarsdalebusiness.

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 05 April 2023

Created: 05 April 2023

Last Updated: 05 April 2023

Hits: 2872

You can recycle so much more than paper at Scarsdale’s Recycling Center on Secor Road. A reader noticed the book bins and asked us to find out what happens to books that are placed in those bins. Are they all destroyed?

The answer is no! In fact the books that are collected end up in many good places. We spoke to Gary Parenteau, the owner of Discover Books who manages the books that are collected in Scarsdale and here is what he shared:

Tell us about yourself and Discover Books - what is your background and why/how did you start this operation?

My name is Gary Parenteau and I am a Rhode Island native. After college, I spent the majority of my career in corporate sales specifically dealing in the Science and Medical industries. This led me to travel all across the US, Germany and Switzerland. While on one such trip, it hit me that long distance travel was not for me anymore. After 12 years of nonstop travel I wanted to do something that I truly enjoyed. That is when I found Discover Books. In 2018 I took over our New England operations of just 9,000 square ft and 7 employees. Since then, we have grown to over 30,000 square feet in Rhode Island and a second facility with 10,000 square feet in East Hartford, CT. We now have over 40 employees and a fleet of trucks that take care of our donation bins and customers.

Where do you collect books?

We collect books all over New England, New York and part of New Jersey. Books are either donated into one of our 600 or so donation bins or through our many library partners.

For the ones that can be distributed, where do you donate them? We love to donate books. We have donated to organizations such as Books through Bars, Books are Wings, numerous schools, College English Clubs, book clubs, and many more.

The Rohode Island College English club sold Discover Books to raise funds for the club.

For the ones that are recycled, please describe the process:

When a book is deemed to be recyclable they are sent off to be pulped. The process uses a large machine called a Hogger to pull the spines off the books. The loose paper is then loaded into a water and chemical stream. This treats the paper and allows it to be used to make paper towels, toilet paper, house insulation, and more.

How many books do you handle each year?

We take in so many books that a physical count is almost impossible. We on the other hand, measure in pounds. It is safe to say we process/rescue over 12 million pounds of books a year just in New England.

Please share a story about the books finding new readers?

We believe children deserve to read. Books help foster creativity and open up their imaginations. Nothing makes us more happy then when we are able to give children books. We distribute thousands of free books in low income areas. Sometimes, the books we give is the only book that they have ever owned. These tend to be our favorite stories.

Please note we do sell books to keep our services free. They can be found on DiscoverBooks.com.

Scarsdale residents can bring their books to the Recycling Center at 110 Secor Road during regular Recycling Center hours, which are Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Books are Wings distributes books collected by Discover to local area children.