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Op-Ed: The Crown Heights Doctor Crisis

by Anonymous

I’m sitting here in the waiting room of a beloved Crown Heights doctor trying not to think about my nine kids and bed ridden husband who are “patiently” awaiting for me to return home while I sit here and scroll, waiting endlessly for my name to be called.

I’ve finished chitas. Checked all my starred emails, looked through all 8 children’s class WhatsApp groups and even called my parents.

And did I mention, I called the secretary twice to get a 10 minute heads up so I wouldn’t have to escape my house before the doctor was ready to see me.

And how did I get here? Six days ago, after 50 minutes of listening to Benny Friedman, the secretary finally picked up, “Doctors office, please hold”. Following another 16 minutes of Yaakov Shwekey, I was able to speak to a human and book this appointment. (And yes, there were no options. 4:45 pm or nothing.)

In anticipation of this appointment, I consumed 7 packs of ricola, 4 boxes of herbal tea, a quart of chicken soup and way too many self-diagnosis articles on google.

Four nights ago, when the humidifier wasn’t doing the trick with my lingering Covid breathing, I called Hatzolah which landed me in a 2:00am hospital spree. “See your local practitioner in a few days“ the doctor on call advised after my x-rays came back fine.

If only it wasn’t so complicated.

This isn’t a bash on the current Crown Heights doctors AT ALL. They are incredible super heroes who work overtime to care for me and you. In this endless Covid craziness, they have been a beacon of light and hope throughout the madness.

This is a busy mom’s plea to the Askanim in our community: Please send us some more superheroes in lab coats!

Crown Heights has 30+ eateries, 72 shuls, and 11 schools. Shouldn’t the medical office numbers match up to this incredible growth?

Why should juggling mothers of large families be shlepping to Flatbush every month to get their kids braces tightened? With our booming population, we should have a selection of four local orthodontists to choose from!

Why does the OBGYN waiting room have a minyan of ladies waiting?

Why is there no eye doctor in our beloved schunah?

Our community just lost a beloved doctor. As of this writing, there is no word yet of a replacement. Instead, his former patients need to choose where to further clog the waiting rooms of the existing swamped practices.

Crown Heights, we can do better!

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30 Comments

  • Ronny

    I am wondering if the anti-vax stance of so many in Crown Heights is causing doctors to stay away. The vast majority of doctors are pro-vax and they may be more interested in patients who follow their advice.

    • AH

      On the contrary, good doctors prefer patients who educate themselves, not those who just uncritically swallow whatever is presented as “science” (and which, without explanation, contradicts last week’s “science”). As for the doctors who don’t think that way, and who expect their patients to be uncritical – well, we’re better off without them.

    • Chaim

      I was at the doctor three weeks ago for my annual physical and the doctor asked me if I was getting the vaxx, when I responded in the negative, he said “good for you, hold out as much as you can”.

    • Busy Mom

      I don’t think this is related to the vaccine, as this problem predates the pandemic. However all of the anti-vaxxers are probably not making this community seem like a welcome place for doctors and medical professionals. There is a line between being an informed patient and thinking you know better then the doctor.

    • AH

      There is also a line between giving advice and hectoring. Most people, even those not in favor of the “vaccine,” have no problem with their doctor recommending it; fine, he recommends, you decide whether to follow. That’s far different than the doctor being one of the טוב שברופאים לגיהנם who decides that only his opinion is valid, and dismisses your concerns as conspiracy theories or whatever.

  • Yossi. K

    I couldn’t agree with you more.
    I can almost bet that I know exactly which office you were at.
    With all due respect to the Doctor,
    These days you can NEVER get thru.
    If they are to busy, they don’t even answer the phone.
    This past Sunday we tried calling at 12:30 pm, no answer. We went in at 2pm to get help. We were told we don’t answer the phones when it’s busy.

  • Sonia

    Maybe if our kids were better prepared earlier in yeshiva they would be more likely to go to medical school!! Yes. We are desperately short of doctors in our midsts

    • Chana

      The reason our schools don’t ‘prepare our kids to become doctors ‘ is because the Rebbe didn’t want children to be thinking about careers when their primary focus should be learning Torah in order to prepare them for life. The Rebbe told his chassidim not to go to college. If you’d prefer a different education for your children there are plenty of other great schools in different neighborhoods.

  • Mom in ch

    From what I understand the crown heights doctors ARE trying to bring in more doctors. Dr. Feldman o”bm did prepare a successor (as if anyone could match up to him) so the fact that the other doctors were able to absorb so many new patients in the midst of a pandemic is short of miraculous.

    • Sherry Friedman

      Is this a typo ? DID prepare a successor or did NOT prepare a successor ?
      A huge difference !

  • with the old breed

    so what you are saying is that you like it when there is a community with one heart, one soul and care. Did you know before the War there were places where the community paid for the Yeshivas and made sure there was health care….so let us all not divide and build walls and for something new make bridges.

  • Mother

    Had similar experience! Had fever, sore throat, secretary said ” sorry we can’t see u today ( was Sunday ) u might be seen on Thursday! I told them i don;t want to be seen, just want a strep test , they said sorry go to urgent care!!!! The line at urgent care was a BLOCK long!!!!!!!
    Where do we turn to when we’re sick if not our doctores????

  • Miriam

    Restaurants can charge what they need to survive. If you want to have the service you are talking about, then the doctors can’t accept Medicaid. The reimbursement is miserably low. They can’t have tons of staff, pay their payroll, and accept Medicaid. We’re lucky they even have private doctors office they accept Medicaid. Try going to a clinic or hospital

  • bh

    You seem to be missing a fundamental point of doctors not growing on trees. Med school is a 12 year endeavor a restaurant is money to make an investment. Are we encouraged to go to college, let alone med school? Where do you expect askanim to find doctors if we dont encourage our children to become doctors??

  • Chaim Fitness

    We can and should do better.
    There should be focus on healthcare and not just sick care.
    Health and fitness should be a priority.

  • Dr Feldman's patient

    I think the cause is: Dr Feldman did as much work as 2 or 4 doctors, but he passed away a month ago. The other CH practice doesn’t have enough staff to cover his caseload.

    With the other practice, you’re fending for yourself. And the doctors far below Dr Feldman’s skill. No one can truly replace him, but we DO need more doctors to get hired!

  • Levi Yitzchak

    She is right about waiting, but it’s not a socialist or communist country.
    Nothing to do with askanim,
    Just like 30+ eateries, 72 shuls and 11 schools are nothing to do with askanim, so are medical services, it’s all about where medical center feel they can make more money

  • Chaim H

    Dr plouts office is @
    372 Kingston Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213

    They are amazing never have to wait on hold for more then 2 min!

    You should try them first. Very friendly and helpful Dr office you will be treated with dignity and respectyou are not just another number:)

  • anonymous

    in the meantime, check out asisa urgent care in williamsburg
    ODA in williamsburg

    very helpful

    • Yosef

      Asisa now has a 2nd branch in Williamsburg (Marcy Ave) besides the original on Myrtle) and the main provider happens to live in CH. I work at a BP location and see so many patients claiming their drs don’t want to see sick patients since corona. Urgent cares are opening up and many provide quality care. I have many patients that use us as their primary, something we don’t encourage but I understan

    • Yossi K.

      Might be true.
      However, will you run to Williamsburg for a simple streep test?
      When you have 6-8 other kids at home, it’s so practical.

  • Morah Devorah

    There are other drs out of the shechuna. I switched out of that office 2 years ago. They’re is no reason to have to wait for someone to pick up the phone and then wait so long to be seen. There are other Dr offices who pick up the phone right away and 5 min wait to see the Dr. We’re so used to being taken advantage of here.

  • Rochel

    Today i had an appointment at the dentist…i called i was gonna be a few minutes late, my car had an issue. She picked up please hold…..i drove to the dentist, found parking, still on hold, waitong to enter and tell her I’m still on hold and i made it here b4 the line went dead. I told her u put the phone down right before i walked through your doors….oh sorry! That was her response.

  • ODA

    I heard that an ODA is opening on East NY Ave in June. Should help ease the burden of the local Dr.s and have specialists that are needed here as well.

  • This shouldn't be a surprise

    Perhaps if the yeshivas teach that college is an option, and that not everyone has to go on shlichus…
    The shortage of frum medical professionals should not be such a shock!

  • Devorie Friedman

    Perhaps it’s finally time for a community that values raising generations of “boor v’am haaretz” to stop wondering why it has pizza stores and not doctors. There is no shortage of brilliant, hardworking people in CH who would be amazing doctors given half a chance at secular education and college.