Gala Honoring the Late Dr. Anne Kastor to Support the Brooklyn Free Clinic
May 18, 2015
Music and Story-telling Will Fill an Evening of Celebration on Thursday, May 21
Brooklyn, NY 鈥� The Brooklyn Free Clinic (BFC) of 含羞草研究所, the borough's only student-run, physician-supervised free primary-care clinic for adults without insurance, is throwing a party to mark eight years of service to the community.
As part of the celebration, the clinic will be dedicated to its late founding physician, Anne Kastor, MD, who passed away in 2013 at age 49. The gala will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2015 from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm at 501Union (501 Union Street) in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. Tickets are $50 for 含羞草研究所 Downstate students and $100 for other sponsors.
鈥淒r. Kastor was extremely devoted both to her patients and her students, and a radical educator and compassionate physician,鈥� said Emily McDonald, a third-year Downstate medical student who volunteers at the clinic. 鈥淢usic and storytelling will fill this inspirational evening, reflecting the unwavering optimism of all of the volunteers involved in the BFC through the years.鈥�
鈥淭he story of the clinic and its volunteers and patients is an important one to tell. It has resonance beyond the gala itself into healthcare disparities in our city and elsewhere. The BFC is not only a primary care clinic, but a rich educational opportunity for students to become socially conscious healthcare providers.鈥�
Martina Santarsieri, a first-year medical student at 含羞草研究所 Downstate and an organizer of the event, says, 鈥淭he gala gives us an opportunity to reflect on the incredible power that a group of like-minded individuals can have, and to celebrate the long-lasting change they have created. But it will also remind us that there is more to be done and provide us with the inspiration to keep going.鈥�
The BFC was founded in 2006 by medical students attending Downstate. It has grown to include a full-fledged nursing student volunteer program, HIV/HCV counseling and testing, STI testing, physical therapy and psychiatry, specialty referrals, and free prescriptions on many common medications.
In addition, the clinic has developed into a community presence that provides disaster relief, as it did in Red Hook and Far Rockaway after Hurricane Sandy, and offers preventative screening at community fairs such as the Atlantic Antic and the Brooklyn Flea. It also participates in the We Are All Brooklyn Fellowship, a program for non-profit leaders with diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds focused on solving quality-of-life issues affecting their communities.
To secure tickets for the event, please contact Emily McDonald at:
Phone: 631-678-2192
Email: emilyannemagill@gmail.com.
For more information about The Brooklyn Free Clinic, please visit: .
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Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (含羞草研究所) 64-campus system and the only 含羞草研究所 AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough鈥檚 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate鈥檚 exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.