Doctors and hospital staff have a long history of giving back in various ways. Some donate equipment, some donate wings, and others donate to particular departments. Stony Book Eastern Long Island Hospital (SBELIH) faculty, Lloyd Simon, MD, Medical Director and Chief of Addiction Medicine, SBELIH, and Jarid Pachter, DO, Medical Director of Quannacut Outpatient Services, are long-standing title sponsors of the Eastern Long Island Hospital Foundation “Walk to Recovery” 5K Walk/Run that benefits the Quannacut Behavioral Services program.
“I’ve been affiliated with Quannacut since 1989 when it began and I’ve taken care of countless patients with substance disorders,” said Dr. Simon. “We truly help people save their lives and it’s certainly important for me to support this event. I work on the unit with the patients and I’m touched by the patients’ individual stories.”
Besides being a member of the faculty at SBELIH, Dr. Simon lives on the North Fork, “Because I’m a community member here I‘ve used the hospital a number of times. The hospital is dependent on community contributions and we need the hospital here on the North Fork.”
“This is my home and where I practice medicine,” said Dr. Pachter. “This is where I have a foothold in the community.”
Dr. Simon and Dr. Pachter both reflected recently on how meaningful their donation is to the Quannacut program. “What we do here at Quannacut is an essential service for our community. It’s life-saving and rejuvenating for people,” said Dr. Simon. “I know what we’re doing saves people’s lives and gives them a chance to live successful lives. What we do here is incredibly valuable.”
“The 5K Walk/Run event is important to raise continued awareness of the ongoing problems of addiction that members of our community continue to struggle with,” said Dr. Pachter. “Having an active event is a fun way for people to get involved and for us in healthcare to promote a healthy lifestyle for everyone, regardless of the diseases they are afflicted with. Of course, I am sponsoring to give back to SBELIH and to support the patients that we treat.”
“Walk to Recovery,” a 5K Walk/Run to support SBELIH, drew more than 120 runners to Orient State Park on Sunday, October 15 for the 6th annual event. Participants of all ages demonstrated their support for behavioral health services. The morning featured many community members, students, staff, and mental health supporters who lined up at the starting line to do their part in standing up to mental health stigma.
“Dr. Simon and I make a great team working together for our patients in the hospital,” said Dr. Pachter. “What better way to back what we do in the hospital? When we sponsor a team with people who work in the hospital we spread our appreciation.”
Through individual and group therapy, education, medication management, and comprehensive discharge planning, SBELIH provides a nurturing environment assisting each individual in need of care to progress and heal within a patient-centric recovery process.
For more information about Quannacut and the Behavioral Health and Psychiatry Services at SBELIH visit elih.stonybrookmedicine.edu/bhs.