Parker is well positioned to continue its leadership in patient care, teaching and research, on the wings of compassion, excellence and innovation.

Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation in September 2018 held a grand opening ceremony for a new Indian cultural unit, dedicated to enhancing quality of life for patients, residents and families of Indian origin. The dedicated unit was recently treated to a complete makeover, featuring culturally sensitive art, interior design and décor.

“Parker’s newly renovated space is designed to meet the needs of Queens and Nassau’s growing Indian population,” said president and CEO of Parker, Michael N. Rosenblut. “There is Indian-inspired décor and artwork, celebrating India’s cultural heritage, scheduled Indian recreational activities and entertainment, Indian newspapers and movies and of course, traditional Indian meals made fresh daily, prepared by our chefs.”

In addition, the unit is staffed by clinical and front-line staff fluent in Indian languages, delivering the excellent care every day that Parker is known for in the community.
Several team members at Parker coordinated the efforts to implement this new cultural unit.

“It was such an uplifting experience to be involved in selecting colors and artifacts for the unit, and to know that it represents so much to our Indian families,” said Tara Buonocore-Rut, the executive vice president for corporate strategy.

Buonocore-Rut commended Saroj Shah, a retired OBGYN, along with her husband Indravadan Shah, a retired surgeon, who together led a committee of local Indian doctors and professionals who worked on the development and planning for Parker’s Indian cultural unit.

Parker Jewish Institute, which is located at the Queens-Nassau County border in New Hyde Park, is a leading provider of short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. At the forefront of innovation in patient-centred health care and new technology, the institute is also a leader in teaching and geriatric research. Parker Jewish Institute features round-the-clock clinical teams, and is nationally renowned as a skilled nursing facility, as well as a provider of community-based health care, encompassing social adult day care, home health care and a hospice program.

Since its inception in 1907 as a shelter for 25 indigent men and women, the Parker Jewish Institute has evolved into a nationally recognized 527-bed, non-profit centre for the health care and rehabilitation of adults, and a comprehensive network of community health care programs for adults. It is also a leading academic campus for the training of health care professionals, and an important research centre for studies related to aging. The Parker Jewish Institute is a teaching affiliate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Long Island Jewish Medical Centre.

The Institute was established by a group of benefactors as a shelter for homeless older people. From a single room in a private house in East Harlem, the group, incorporated as the Harlem House of the Daughters of Israel in 1914, moved to a three-story brownstone at 32 East 119th Street, and then, in 1925, to an eight-story building at 1260 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Enlarged facilities enabled Parker’s forerunner to care for increasing numbers of immigrants and other New Yorkers who sought assistance.

The Home gradually expanded its services to include health care. With the influx of refugees in the 1930s and 1940s, the Home accepted older and more infirm residents, and made provisions for more intensive care. Reflecting these trends, the Home changed its name in 1943 to the Home and Hospital of the Daughters of Israel. It was supported completely by private contributions. Like its predecessor, the Home and Hospital outgrew its facilities and mission. The medical problems of its residents were too complex for the staff and equipment to handle properly, a more sophisticated care and a modern facility were needed.

Planning began for a facility that could implement a new concept in health care for the aged. The Trustees envisioned a prototype institution, the first of its kind in the United States that would provide total care for the geriatric patient. Its orientation would be unique: rehabilitation, restoration, and return to the community. This geriatric facility would not be the “last stop” for its patients. To the contrary, it would be an inspiration to continued life. It would treat patients with physical disabilities as well as mental and behavioural disorders. And, it would conduct research and educational programs.

The Board’s vision was realized with the purchase of a 5-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Centre at the Queens/Nassau border, the construction of an eight-story geriatric centre, and the opening of the Jewish Institute for Geriatric Care in March 1972. In 1988, the name was once again changed, this time to recognize the many contributions of the Parker family, and the facility was renamed “Parker Jewish Geriatric Institute.” Its current name was chosen in 1997 to reflect the wide range of rehabilitation services provided. Thus, they are now known as the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation.

In 2010, Parker expanded services to include on-site dialysisand medical ambulette transportation. The Queens-Long Island Renal Institute, Inc.opened its doors on the lobby level of Parker, providing chronic haemodialysis in an award-winning, state-of-the-art environment, for both inpatients and residents of the community. In addition, Lakeville Ambulette Transportation, LLCoffers the patients and residents of Parker Jewish Institute, as well as adults in the communities, nursing homes and health care facilities of New York City and Long Island, professional transportation to medical appointments, nursing homes and related destinations.

Continuing its leadership in the introduction of new technology to long-term care, the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation and Long Island Jewish Medical Centre implemented the first electronic medical transfer.

The Nerken Center for Research, a division of the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, is devoted specifically to the study of emerging issues of aging.  Through a professionally organized and administered program of scientific research, the Center actively confronts the many challenges resulting from a longer span. The work of the center focuses on research development activities that facilitate the realization of both new and existing research opportunities and scholarly activities that address important needs and the acquisition of information that will contribute to a greater understanding of the variables and complexities of the aging process. The Nerken Center was established in 1982 through an endowment by the late Jean and Albert Nerken. The Center exemplifies Parker’s advocacy of geriatric research, offering an expanded capability to mount a broad spectrum of studies.

As a non-profit organization, the Institute is governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees comprised of community, business and professional leaders from throughout the greater New York metropolitan area. Representing a broad spectrum of industries and experience, Parker’s Trustees actively lend their expertise by working in partnership with Administration on task forces and committees. Each Trustee brings his/her unique talents to strengthen the Institute, while sharing a steadfast commitment to the Institute’s mission and vision – providing the highest quality, most compassionate health care and rehabilitation to older adults.

Today’s Parker is well positioned to continue its leadership in patient care, teaching and research, on the wings of compassion, excellence and innovation.