Chappaqua Interfaith Council delivers on promise to Mt. Kisco’s Open Door Medical Center
The Interfaith council raised enough money to furnish two exam rooms 
June 13, 2008
by Marcia Clark
In 2007, members of the Chappaqua Interfaith Council visited Open Door Family Medical Center’s new office on Main Street in Mt. Kisco. The congregations in the Chappaqua Interfaith Council include Baha’is of New Castle; Chappaqua Friends Meeting; The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal; First Congregational Church; Lutheran Church of our Redeemer; Presbyterian Church of Mt. Kisco; St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church; Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester; and The Upper Westchester Muslim Society.
Left to right: Rabbi Joshua Davidson, president of the Chappaqua Interfaith Council, Msgr. Patrick Barry, senior priest at St. John and St. Mary’s, Elinor Griffith, also of St. John and St. Mary’s, Dr. Asaf Cohen of Open Door, Miyasi Katircioglu of the Upper Westchester Muslim Society and Amy McNamara, a member of Open Door Board and St. Mary the Virgin.
Open Door, a federally-qualified, non-profit community health center, provides medical care to the working poor who lack adequate health insurance. When the center opened, the site capacity was projected at 3000 patients; however, in the first year that number was quickly exceeded. “What can we do to help?” asked Elinor Griffith, an interfaith council member from St. John and St. Mary’s Church, noting that most of the second floor of the center was empty. The unanimous answer? Equipment for an additional exam room on the second floor since Open Door did not have the funds to furnish it.
Members of the Interfaith Council returned to their houses of worship, told the Open Door story and within a few very short months presented Open Door Family Medical Centers with $22,094.
The Interfaith council raised enough money to furnish two exam rooms
“The Interfaith Council not only sought us out, but they immediately understood who we are, what our needs are and they stepped up to the plate to help meet those needs,” said Lindsay Farrell, president and chief executive officer of Open Door. “The money the council raised was so generous it actually fully equipped two rooms. We now can see many more patients and, as a result, our community has just gotten a little bit healthier!”
On Tuesday, June 10, Open Door Family Medical Centers hosted the Chappaqua Interfaith Council at its dedication of the new rooms. Rabbi Josh Davidson, president of the council, blessed the area – and the outstanding work of the staff. Members of the council also heard Dr. Asaf Cohen, one of the providers at the Mt. Kisco office, speak about the profound effect the rooms will have. “It’s like expanding a highway,” he explained. “You make the road wider and suddenly you have more cars. Well, two weeks ago we opened these two new exam rooms and they have been filled ever since. Many of our patients are sick children or walk-ins who need same day care. It’s always difficult to tell people that we can’t see them when they need us, and now we don’t have to quite as often.”
Dr. Cohen concluded, “We cannot thank you enough for coming together as a community of faith to ensure that our entire community has access to a medical home.”
Marcia Clark is the public relations consultant for Open Door Family Medical Centers. She is the owner of Shameless Promotions, LLC, a public relations firm that serves small to mid-size companies and not-for-profit organizations throughout the Hudson Valley and Manhattan. She can be contacted at .
Click here for a printable view of this article.
Click here to read more Faith & Religion articles.Click here to read more Town articles.
Click here to read more Volunteer Opportunities articles.
Click here to send a copy of this article via email.
We're interested in your opinion. Click here to submit a comment on this article, or any other.
