Rockaway women see improved health service access

Rockaway elected officials including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and City Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers, joined Episcopal Health Services to cut the ribbon on a new Maternal Health Center. Photo courtesy of EHS

By Rachel Vick

Rockaway representatives and hospital staff gathered in Rockaway Park for the opening of a new, state of the art women’s health center last week.

Episcopal Health Services — the parent organization of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital — cut the ribbon on the The Margaret O. Carpenter Women’s Health Center at 105-38 Rockaway Beach Blvd., which leaders say will provide much-needed services to women in the area.

“These OB-GYN services will positively impact the health and wellness of thousands of women on the peninsula, where entire communities have historically suffered from decades of disinvestment,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. “With Black Maternal Health Week coming up in April, countless new or expecting mothers will finally have easier access to the critical care they need and deserve.”

The peninsula has a higher rate of pregnant women who seek late or no prenatal care and higher than average cancer rates when compared to the rest of New York City. Breast cancer is among the leading causes of premature death in the Rockaways, according to city data.

Services offered in the new facility include obstetrics, gynecology, maternal fetal medicine, urogynecology, gynecology oncology, breast surgery, nutrition, behavioral health, 3D mammography, bone density and ultrasounds.

The center was made possible by a $3 million grant from the New York State Department of Health’s Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program II, supplemented by fundraising by the St. John’s ICARE Foundation.

“The Margaret O. Carpenter Women’s Health Center exemplifies our intentions to continue to invest in providing necessary medical services to the residents of the communities we serve,” said Jerry Walsh, EHS chief executive officer. “We are making it easier for women to have access to top-notch medical care close to home, without having to travel great distances outside of the Rockaway Peninsula.”

The center was named for Margaret O. Carpenter, a long-time Lawrence resident, volunteer, and former member of Episcopal Health Service’s Board of Trustees.