There is no physician currently in the Legislature, and I would be an effective advocate to bring needed change to our communities. We must secure funding for clean water infrastructure to keep our drinking water safe and our bays and waterways clean. We must address the mental health crisis impacting so many of our children. We must fight for more affordability, because no family should be choosing between food on their table or heat in their home. So many of the decisions made by elected officials impact the health and well-being of our communities. I want to be a voice in the room for children and families when those decisions are made.
I have lived in Centerport with my husband and two children for the past 24 years. As a pediatrician in Huntington Village, I have had the privilege to care for many of our young people from birth and watch as they set off into the future as adults. I am a Harborfields School Board Trustee and an active member of the Long Island-Queens-Brooklyn chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics where I serve on the Executive Council as Legislative Chair. I have been a fierce advocate for policies that help advance the health and well-being of children, including working to eliminate the sale of flavored vaping products targeting our youth and pushing for safe gun storage in NYS. I also serve on the NYS Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Advisory Board.
Creating a community of inclusiveness nurtured by mutual understanding and respect is incredibly important to me. I have engaged with youth from a diversity of backgrounds to participate in community service projects through which we learn to better understand and embrace our differences. I was appointed by the Town of Huntington Supervisor to be a Town Council Liaison to the Huntington Anti-Bias Task Force where I sit on the steering committee. I have been involved in several efforts including advocating for the Eid holiday to be an observed holiday on the school calendar in surrounding districts following Harborfields’ leadership. I worked on the ‘Hate Has No Home in Huntington’ campaign and organized youth volunteers to distribute ‘Hate Has No Business in Huntington’ posters to area businesses. I have advocated for the Asian community that has been targeted with hate across the country and have spoken out against the rise in anti-semitism. Everyone in our community needs to feel welcome, understood, and accepted regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
I will bring my advocacy skills to the table as well as my ability to work well with others to get things done. Most importantly, I will never shy away from voicing my opinion when it comes to the health and well being of our children and families. I have been incredibly impressed with the resilience demonstrated by our community over the past few difficult years. I am confident that my experience as a pediatrician will be a valuable resource to help guide us to the better days that surely lie ahead.