When John began experiencing sudden chest pain, he trusted his instincts and headed to Good Samaritan Hospital. Within moments, the cardiac team identified severe blockages—requiring triple bypass surgery. Thanks to the skilled and compassionate care he received, John is now back home with his wife and four children, deeply grateful for the team that saved his life.
“There is nothing more important than knowing high-quality care is close to home,” John states. “I am living proof of that and here today because of the incredible team at Good Samaritan Hospital. I am truly grateful.”
Today, he is committed to giving back, knowing firsthand the impact of expert care close to home—and for the donors who make this care possible.
“Dr. Hirsch has cared for me since 1997. I am so grateful that he and Good Samaritan Hospital are here for me year after year.
“My wife, who was a nurse at Good Sam, knew him and always said that he was top-notch. She was thankful for his expertise, professionalism and kindness.
“Beyond my cardiac needs, Dr. Hirsch has stepped up to help me manage other challenging health issues. It’s really great that I can rely on him with complete confidence that he knows what’s right for me. We’ve gotten to know each other very well!
“Dr. Hirsch also took care of my mother-in-law. We credit him for keeping her alive for many years.
“I also have only excellent things to say about the staff at Good Samaritan. They take the time to listen and they truly care. What a special group of people.
“Donations from patients and their families help Good Samaritan’s doctors, like Dr. Hirsch, continue to provide our community the care we need. So if you can give a charitable gift, please do. It really does make a difference.”
“Sometimes, I don’t think twice when I see brochures in plexiglass holders,” said James Obrotka. “But I picked up Good Sam’s Grateful Giving brochure after I rang my ‘radiation finished’ bell. I wanted to show my gratitude to everyone who cared for me by making a donation to the hospital.”
James, who lives in Warwick, came to Good Samaritan Hospital for prostate cancer care. He said that he needed specialized services more advanced than those offered at St. Anthony Community Hospital, which, along with Good Samaritan, is part of Bon Secours Charity Health System and the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. Now that he has completed most of his treatment in Suffern, he can receive additional therapy in Warwick.
“I was very impressed throughout my entire experience at Good Sam,” James said. “I have only great things to say about my doctors, the nurses, the receptionist, the maintenance workers and everyone else.”
Just like him, James encourages others to pick up our Grateful Giving brochure. He said, “If you make a donation to show your appreciation for Good Sam’s staff, it will make a difference for our hospital. And it will let your healthcare team know that they’ve made a difference for you!”
“We are fortunate to have Good Samaritan Hospital and Dr. Fraiman here for our community. Dr. Fraiman is extremely intelligent and experienced, clearly an expert in his field. He takes the time to provide thorough information and answer questions, and I appreciated that I never felt rushed. He also is extraordinarily kind, and that means a lot when you’re dealing with health issues.
“Good Samaritan is an excellent hospital. The staff members provide high-quality care, and they, too, are kind and compassionate. Being treated like a neighbor instead of just a patient adds a comforting personal touch.
“Good Sam, as a non-profit hospital, uses donations from patients, family and friends to increase its investments in healthcare advancements. And these are the advances that allow us to stay close to home for the best possible care. I hope that you will make Good Sam a priority in your charitable giving.“
It’s been nearly a decade since Larry Palant had emergency cardiac catheterization at Good Samaritan Hospital. But his gratitude for the staff in our Emergency Department, the Active International Cardiovascular Institute and others at the hospital remains deep.
Larry came to the ED with crushing chest pain. A cardiac evaluation showed that his troponin levels were high, indicating a heart attack. Larry was brought to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab where he received two stents.
Then, age 62, the Suffern resident had no prior heart issues and no known family history of cardiac disease.
Larry was discharged for follow up care with Metropolitan Cardiology in Suffern. He required a third stent later that year. Since then, he continues to feel great.
“The quality of care at Good Sam is terrific,” Larry said. “We are fortunate to have this hospital here in Rockland County! Good Samaritan has grown over the years from a local resource that you once relied on mostly for emergencies to a state-of-the-art facility with many advanced capabilities, including an impressive roster of doctors who are part of Bon Secours Medical Group.”
Larry is thankful that he is healthy and active. Retired from his property management company, he now focuses on Suffern Rotary Club activities. He also is the former Rotary district governor, where he oversaw 55 Rotary Clubs in the Lower Hudson Valley. Larry loves his time with his wife, children and grandchildren and enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends.
“Knowing that we have such quality care, literally around the corner from my home, is extremely reassuring,” Larry said. “Local hospitals, like Good Samaritan, rely on community support, both financially and through the continued use of its practitioners. Over the course of the last few years, my wife and I have switched to many Bon Secours Medical Group practices because it provides a single point of reference that makes our continuity and coordination of care very easy. And when warranted, we recommend them to friends.”
When Clifford Nyman learned that he had prostate cancer, he chose Dr. Fraiman at Good Samaritan Hospital. Even though he lives in Eastchester, a little less than an hour from Suffern, he said that the car rides were worth every minute.
“Dr. Fraiman came highly recommended. I was assured that he is an authority on prostate cancer and that he is extremely compassionate,” Cliff said. “I also was told that at Good Samaritan Hospital, I would receive personalized, attentive care. The recommendations were spot on. Everyone on staff, from Dr. Fraiman to the radiology techs and nurses made it clear that they were there to help me, and that meant the world to me.”
Cliff emphasized that his experiences confirmed that Good Samaritan is big enough to provide a broad range of advanced services, but small enough to treat patients like family.
“My Christian faith gave me tremendous strength. The whole experience of beating cancer has been a miracle,” Cliff said.
“I am so grateful to be five and one-half years cancer free!”
As a donor, Cliff said that charitable gifts help Good Samaritan Hospital continually offer state-of-the-art care. “I make it a point to contribute regularly. I also appreciate everyone else who gives what they can because it is true: every donation makes a difference.”
“I want to keep saying, ‘Thank You,‘ over and over again,” said Rabbi Robert Lam. “I am alive and healthy because I got the care I needed at the right time and the right place, and for that my gratitude is overwhelming!”
The 65-year-old Pomona resident recalled that his wife wasted no time in calling for an ambulance when he told her that he felt intense pressure on his chest. He said, “The EMTs from Hatzoloh EMS of Rockland brought me to Good Samaritan’s Emergency Department. That is when it was confirmed that I was having a heart attack and needed a stent right away.”
Rabbi Lam said that he has recovered nicely and feels well. He expressed deep appreciation for every person who did what was necessary to help him. “I am so fortunate that Good Samaritan’s doctors were able to save my life. I also am thankful to all the other staff at the hospital who took such good care of me and made my experience there as pleasant as possible.”
Knowing that philanthropy helps the hospital continue to invest in patient care, Rabbi Lam reflected on the importance of tzedakah, the Hebrew word used to signify charity. “Community support for the hospital benefits all of us,” he said. “Good Samaritan goes beyond saving the life of the patient. When you save one person, you save a whole family and a community.”
“I had an exceptional experience at Good Samaritan!
“The orthopedic program staff make everything easy, from pre-surgery testing to post-surgery follow up. Their surgeons use state-of-the-art techniques to ensure great outcomes. I can now walk pain free. I can go to affairs and dance pain free. Before I could only watch.” — Donna Gorman Silberman, Rockland County Clerk and Grateful Patient
For more than 30 years, Randy Klipstein has made annual donations to Good Samaritan Hospital. He says that he does it to remember his friends.
Randy’s memories of Good Samaritan go back to childhood in the 1970s when, over an extended period, his mother received care here for breast cancer.
“On Sundays my family would bring The New York Times Crossword Puzzle to Mom at Good Sam,” Randy said. “When a top Good Samaritan administrator, who also loved crosswords, heard about ‘the patient who was a crossword whiz,’ she visited Mom weekly so they could work on the puzzles together. But that’s not what I remember most.”
Randy recalled that in 1973, the hospital gave each patient a corsage during a Christmas party. “By this time, my mother was too sick to wear her corsage. But my father kept that flower prominently displayed in his home for more than twenty years, for the rest of his life,” he said. “I know that there was no possession that he cherished more. When I asked him about it, he said that ‘he doesn’t forget his friends.’”
It’s been over forty-five years since Randy’s mother was given that gift. He has since moved away from Rockland County but continues to donate to Good Samaritan. “I remember my friends, too.”
“God Bless Good Samaritan Hospital! My family and I deeply appreciate Good Sam’s cardiac team for the excellent care they provided when I was there for quadruple bypass surgery,” said John Sovak. “Knowing that charitable gifts really do make a difference for the hospital, we are only too happy to support its Foundation.”
After experiencing cardiac symptoms, the Suffern resident learned that he needed coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Cary Passik, MD performed the surgery, which diverted blood around the narrowed and clogged parts of John’s major arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to his heart.
“My clearest and most powerful memory of my time in the cardiovascular intensive care unit is how caring and kind the staff members were. They were responsive, thorough and authentically compassionate. It also was a big plus that I was able to have my surgery and follow up care close to home,” John said.
John emphasizes the value of philanthropy to Good Samaritan, “Donations from our Rockland County community help save lives for local residents like me.”
Dr. David Asprinio is Director of Orthopaedic Surgery at Westchester Medical Center and Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at New York Medical College. He completed his undergraduate studies at the College of the Holy Cross and medical school at the University of Vermont. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University. He then completed fellowships in orthopaedic trauma at the Hospital for Special Surgery and orthopaedic spine surgery at the University of Maryland. He is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and a member of numerous sub-specialty organizations.
Dr. Asprinio joined the medical staff of Westchester Medical Center in 1995 and has been recognized as one of the “Top Doctors” in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area in each of the last eight years. In 2012, he was named one of the top 29 orthopaedic trauma surgeons in the United States. He is Program Director for the Westchester Medical Center-based New York Medical College Orthopaedic Residency Program. He is involved in clinical and basic science research activities and has lectured nationally and internationally. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals including The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, The American Journal of Sports Medicine and The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Asprinio lives in Greenwich with his wife and three children.
Jeremy Abramson is Vice President of The Premier Collection, a family-owned and -operated group of Volvo, Subaru, Lincoln, Mazda and Volkswagen dealerships in the region. Mr. Abramson started his career at 16 washing cars and worked his way up through the ranks to running the day-to-day operations of the entire dealership. After graduating from Towson University in Maryland, he moved to New York where he met his wife, Amy.
Mr. Abramson is deeply committed to community involvement, sitting on several professional and charitable boards including the UJA Business & Professional Division, Westchester Medical Center Foundation (Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital), Jewish National Fund and Young Israel of White Plains, where he and his family have been members since 2011. Mr. Abramson also serves on the board of Blankets for Cancer, an organization founded in memory of his nephew, Jordan, that supports patients and families battling pediatric cancer.
Mr. Abramson and his wife, Amy, reside in White Plains with their three children, Sydney, Alexander and Emma.
Foundation Board activities: Governance/Nominating Committee; Recruitment Committee; Events Committee
Kara Bennorth has nearly 40 years of experience in public affairs, marketing, communications and development in both healthcare and the public sector. A member of WMCHealth since 1995, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer where she was responsible for overseeing in-network activities, driving organizational development and culture and inter-network and interdepartmental collaboration and coordination. With direct responsibility for the overall brand and image of the organization, Ms. Bennorth was in charge of communications, marketing and philanthropy/grants development for WMCHealth’s nine hospitals, six 501(c)(3) foundations, numerous ambulatory and community-based programs and several hospital-based practice locations.
During her tenure, the organization consistently ranked tops among hospitals in the region for image and quality and earned a national patient satisfaction award from Press Ganey, one of only two hospitals in the northeast to achieve this status. She also was part of the team that led the hospital’s first capital campaign to raise more than $25 million to build the region’s only children’s hospital. Ms. Bennorth holds a bachelor’s degree in English/Journalism from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and an MBA from Franklin Pierce University. Kara has two grown children, Melissa and Ian, and resides in Putnam County with her husband, Michael Hubertus.
Foundation Board activities: Chair, Campaign Committee; Chair, Special Events Committee; Recruitment Committee; Critical Care Tower Campaign Cabinet
Dr. Robin Altman is a board-certified pediatrician. She got her B.S. in Psychobiology from Yale University and her M.D. from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She completed her pediatric residency at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and joined the faculty at New York Medical College and Westchester Medical Center in 1991. In 1995, Dr. Altman became the Chief of General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine, a position that she maintains today. In 2012, she became the Medical Director of Quality and Safety for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, and in 2021 she was appointed Vice Chair, Quality and Safety for the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Altman continues to practice pediatrics in Hawthorne, NY, but her passion is quality improvement, patient safety and enhancing the healthcare experience for patients and their families.
