Employees of St. Catherine of Siena Hospital. Photo courtesy of Leg. Trotta's office
The Suffolk County Legislature created an annual recognition program so that each legislator would designate a Healthcare Hero from his or her legislative district to acknowledge their work and service to the community.
Legislator Rob Trotta named St Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown as his district’s Healthcare Hero for 2023. St. Catherine is a member of the Catholic Health, and is a 296- bed, not-for-profit community hospital that has served the residents of Smithtown for more than 50 years.
Committed to providing the highest quality of care, St. Catherine offers multidisciplinary experts in numerous specialties including bariatric surgery, behavioral health, cardiovascular care, diagnostic imaging, dialysis, emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, robotic surgery, sleep medicine, stroke, woman child care, women’s health, wound care and much more.
“As the legislator representing St. Catherine’s, I have had the opportunity to know its staff, nurses, doctors ,and administrators as well as experiencing its high level of care on a personal level. St. Catherine is a tremendous asset to the community as they sponsor important events such as its annual Community Health Fair, blood drives, blood pressure checks at senior centers and complexes, clothing and food collections, flu vaccines and recognition ceremonies for EMS workers and the hospital staff,” said Leg. Trotta.
New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS) recently announced the addition of oncologist-hematologist Neal Murphy, MD.
Dr. Murphy will practice at 750 Old Country Rd, Riverhead,640 County Rd, Southampton, and 49 Route 347, Port Jefferson Station.
“Dr. Murphy’s dedication to research and patient care is truly commendable,” said Jeff Vacirca, MD, CEO of NYCBS. “We are proud to have Dr. Murphy join our practice and look forward to the positive impact he will make in the lives of our patients.”
Dr. Murphy has dedicated his time to research focusing on kidney and bladder cancer. Dr. Murphy completed two translational research studies, including “Prognostic molecular signatures for metastatic potential in clinically low-risk stage I and II clear cell renal cell carcinomas,” which was published in Frontiers in Oncology, and “Predictive molecular biomarkers for determining neoadjuvant chemosensitivity in muscle-invasive bladder cancer” which was published in Oncotarget.
Dr. Murphy has several other peer-reviewed publications and has presented his work at national conferences. He remains passionate about optimizing treatments in hematology/oncology and treats a broad spectrum of diseases with a focus on genitourinary, lung, head and neck, colorectal and skin malignancies, as well as multiple myeloma and lymphoma.
“I strive to get to know all my patients, build trust and provide the kind of care that one of my family members or I would want to receive,” Dr. Murphy said.
“When communicating with patients, I am honest and open, explaining all treatment options and agreeing on the best, personalized treatment plan together. It is rewarding to be able to alleviate a patient’s anxiety and fear about their diagnosis and to be able to provide hope because there are so many effective treatments NYCBS and I can offer to help patients.”
To make an appointment with Dr. Murphy, please call 631-751-3000. For more information, visit nycancer.com.
As a part of Medicaid eligibility, existing members must recertify with the local Department of Social Services (“DSS”). This is a mini application wherein your will have to provide current financial statements, monthly income verification and pooled income trust deposits if using one. This has always been the case for recipients of Community Medicaid and Chronic Medicaid; however, this may be a new concept for those that started with the program post-March 2020.
Due to the COVID pandemic, DSS was extending benefits without the requirement of submitting the necessary documents. You may have even received a notice from your local department stating that “we will extend Medicaid coverage” and “based on the federal legislation signed into law on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, no person who currently has Medicaid coverage will lose their coverage during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.” For some people, this meant no recertification for three years. But that time is over and as the new notices from DSS say it is time to “ACT NOW.”
Since this is the first time in three years that benefits have been adjusted, you could see a dramatic change in the income budgeting for the Medicaid recipient. One of the main reasons for recertification (other than confirming continued eligibility) would be to assess the monthly income budgeting. This would be the net available monthly income (“NAMI”) for Chronic Medicaid recipients which needs to be the amount paid over the nursing home each month. For Community Medicaid recipients it would mean adjustments to the funding of the pooled income trust. This is usually adjusted annually, and the change is barely noticeable.
But now, after three years, the adjustment may seem dramatic, especially if there has been a major change with the Medicaid recipient, including the death of a spouse, change in value of a retirement account, or an increase in social security benefits. All of these circumstances can impact the monthly benefits.
Retaining an attorney to prepare and submit the recertification is typically advisable. If the application is not filled out correctly, or documentation is missing, the recertification could be denied for failure to provide information. This would result in a loss of benefits for the Medicaid recipient and the possibility of a gap in coverage.
Nancy Burner, Esq. is the founder and managing partner at Burner Law Group, P.C. with offices located in East Setauket, Westhampton Beach, New York City and East Hampton.
Stony Brook Medicine’s new facility at Smith Haven Mall held its official ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 19, welcoming the completion of the facility’s Phase One of its advanced specialties, which will likely be finished by 2027.
The new facility, which will be the new home to the different advanced specialties that were found on Technology Drive, offers a much more accessible “one-stop shop” for patients.
Maurie McInnis, president of Stony Brook University and overseer of Stony Brook Medicine, spoke at the ceremony, saying Stony Brook Medicine’s new location will be reminding their patients that they are there for them.
“We believe in quality health care that is accessible to all,” McInnis said in her speech. “As a world-renowned medical system and an entrusted flagship university for New York State, it is our duty and our privilege to make it so,” she continued.
Dr. Todd Griffin, vice president for clinical services and vice dean for clinical affairs at Stony Brook Medicine, shared his outlook for the facility’s future, saying, “We eagerly anticipate hosting a health care open house in the near future where our community and patients can explore our beautiful facility and learn more about the services that are available to them.”
Since Smith Haven Mall falls in both the towns of Brookhaven and Smithtown, Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) each spoke during the ceremony.
“You think about life and you wonder, and you ask people in their everyday lives what concerns them,” Romaine said after praising SBU, the hospital and its staff.
“They’re concerned about health, because without health, you don’t have anything else. This facility will do so much good for so many years and for so many people,” he added.
Wehrheim spoke about the renaissance he believes is underway in Smithtown.
“This is an excellent partnership and a huge benefit both to the new residents that will be coming to live in our Town of Smithtown, and also for Stony Brook Medicine,” he said, expressing his gratitude to McInnis.
“We make laws in government, but you folk, you doctors and staff and nurses, actually save lives and that’s what’s important to a community.”
Pictured at ribbon cutting ceremony at The DripBar Long Island’s grand opening are, from left, Jennilynn Toulson, Adelynn Toulson, General Manager Ryan Toulson, U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota’s Director of Operations Peter Ganley, owner Peter Anastasian, owner Charlie Massimo, Huntington Town Supervisor Edmund J. Smyth, Huntington Town Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman, Esq., New York State Senator Mario Mattera’s Legislative Aide Annmarie Lang, and Hallie Altman. Photo by HiLite Studios, Commack
The first franchise of DripBar, an intravenous vitamin therapy infusion service provider, recently held its grand opening and ribbon cutting event at 6079 Jericho Turnpike in Commack.
Guests had the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art vitamin infusion dripbar, meet its staff, and learn more about the facility’s wide range of services including IV Lifestyle Drips, Health Support Drips, and IM Lifestyle and Single Shots, and their benefits.
Among those on hand to celebrate were Huntington Town Supervisor Edmund J. Smyth, Huntington Town Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman, Esq., New York State Senator Mario Mattera’s Legislative Aide Annmarie Lang, and U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota’s Director of Operations Peter Ganley who presented citations and proclamations.
Pictured at ribbon cutting ceremony at The DripBar Long Island’s grand opening are, from left, Jennilynn Toulson, Adelynn Toulson, General Manager Ryan Toulson, U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota’s Director of Operations Peter Ganley, owner Peter Anastasian, owner Charlie Massimo, Huntington Town Supervisor Edmund J. Smyth, Huntington Town Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman, Esq., New York State Senator Mario Mattera’s Legislative Aide Annmarie Lang, and Hallie Altman.
Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, visit www.thedripbar.com/long-island/ or call 516-543-3988.
Stony Brook Medicine’s new facility at Smith Haven Mall. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson
When a person plans a trip to the mall, they may imagine buying new clothes, browsing storefronts and eating at the food court. Now they can add a trip to the doctor’s office to their list.
Stony Brook Medicine has opened a new advanced specialty care facility at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. The approximately 170,000-square-foot space, previously occupied by Sears, is now host to a plethora of specialties, offering a “one-stop shop” to patients.
Sharon Meinster, the assistant vice president of facilities planning and design, and Dr. Todd Griffin, vice president for clinical services and vice dean for clinical affairs at Stony Brook Medicine, explained how the new facility would be more accessible for patients than the offices at Technology Drive in Setauket.
The facility will open in multiple phases, likely to be completed by 2027. As their leases end at Technology Drive, the other practices will gradually make their way to Lake Grove.
“What’s great here is that there’s much better public transportation to the mall,” Griffin said. “That was one of the things that we used to hate about tech parks because many of our patients were taking two or three buses to get there.”
The closest bus stop to Technology Drive is at Belle Meade Road, and if the practice was located farther down the park, it could be difficult for a patient to get there, especially in inclement weather such as heat waves or snowstorms.
There will also be an urgent care complex built in the automotive center at the Smith Haven Mall, which will have direct ambulance support to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Since the new location connects to the rest of the mall, the idea of a buzzer system, similar to those found in restaurants, was considered, allowing patients to walk around the mall while they wait, though Griffin does hope to cut down the wait times.
The phase one services, which are currently open and occupy 60,000 out of the 170,000 square feet, include family and preventive medicine, primary and specialty care, pediatrics, diabetes education, genetic counseling, neurology, neuropsychology and pain management.
The facility will help to foster collaboration between the different doctors since they will all be under one roof.
“It’s nice to have sort of the neuro institute people together,” Griffin said, adding, “You have the surgeons and the docs all in the same space, which helps with collaboration.”
“Right now, they’re in two different locations. So when they move here, they’ll be all together,” he added, “and it’s the same thing with our comprehensive pain center.”
Stony Brook Medicine will also continue to build its Commack location, which has been open since 2017. That building sits at around 350,000 square feet and houses around 38 specialties. They aim to open a surgical center as well as an advanced urgent care center by early 2025.
Despite not having many windows, the Lake Grove facility’s lighting and paint job help to create a more welcoming atmosphere. With much more to come from the Stony Brook care facility, it is already offering a fast and easy way for locals to see their doctor and then grab a pretzel on the way out.
Symptoms of diverticular disease include fever and abdominal pain. METRO photo
Physical activity and fiber make a difference
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
Diverticular disease, or diverticulosis, becomes more common as we age. In the U.S., more than 30 percent of those aged 50-59 are affected and, for those over 80, approximately 70 percent are affected (1).
The good news is that modest lifestyle changes can potentially prevent it. Here, I will explain simple ways to reduce your risk, while also debunking a pervasive myth — that fiber, or more specifically nuts and seeds, exacerbates the disease.
What causes diverticular disease?
Diverticular disease is a weakening of the lumen, or wall of the colon, which results in the formation of pouches or out-pocketing referred to as diverticula. Pressure from constipation may be part of the cause.
Its mildest form, diverticulosis may be asymptomatic. In other cases, symptoms may include fever and abdominal pain, predominantly in the left lower quadrant in Western countries, or the right lower quadrant in Asian countries. It may need to be treated with antibiotics.
Diverticulitis affects 10 to 25 percent of those with diverticulosis. Diverticulitis is inflammation and infection, which may lead to a perforation of the bowel wall. Emergency surgery may be required if a rupture occurs.
Unfortunately, the incidence of diverticulitis is growing. In 2010, about 200,000 were hospitalized for acute diverticulitis, and roughly 70,000 were hospitalized for diverticular bleeding (2). For those between 40 and 49 years old, the incidence of diverticulitis grew 132 percent between 1980 and 2007, the most recent data on this population (3).
How do you prevent diverticular disease and its complications?
There are several modifiable risk factors, including diet composition and fiber intake, along with weight and physical activity.
In a study that examined lifestyle risk factors for diverticulitis incidences, adhering to a low-risk lifestyle reduced diverticulitis risk almost 75 percent among men (4). The authors defined a low-risk lifestyle as including fewer than four servings of red meat a week, at least 23 grams of fiber a day, two hours of vigorous weekly activity, a body mass index of 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, and no history of smoking. They estimated that a low-risk lifestyle could prevent 50 percent of diverticulitis cases.
How do we know fiber helps?
A prospective study published online in the British Medical Journal extolled the value of fiber in reducing the risk of diverticular disease (5). This study was part of the EPIC trial, which involved over 47,000 people living in Scotland and England. It showed a 31 percent reduction in risk in those who were vegetarian.
But more intriguing, participants who had the highest fiber intake saw a 41 percent reduction in diverticular disease. Those participants in the highest fiber group consumed more than 25.5 grams per day for women and more than 26.1 grams per day for men, whereas those in the lowest group consumed fewer than 14 grams per day. Though the difference in fiber between the two groups was small, the reduction in risk was substantial.
Another study, which analyzed data from the Million Women Study, a large-scale UK study of middle-aged women, confirmed the correlation between fiber intake and diverticular disease, and further analyzed the impact of different sources of fiber (6). The authors’ findings were that reduction in the risk of diverticular disease was greatest with high intake of cereal and fruit fiber.
Most Americans get about 16 grams of fiber per day. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends daily fiber intake for those under age 50 of 25-26 grams for women and 38 grams for men (7). Interestingly, their recommendations are lower for those who are over 50.
What if you consumed at least 40 grams of fiber per day? This is what I recommend for my patients. Some foods that contain the most fiber include nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. In a 2009 study, those men who specifically consumed the most nuts and popcorn saw a protective effect from diverticulitis (8).
Does obesity have an effect?
In the large, prospective male Health Professionals Follow-up Study, body mass index played a significant role, as did waist circumference (9). Those who were obese (BMI >30 kg/m²) had a 78 percent increased risk of diverticulitis and a greater than threefold increased risk of a diverticular bleed compared to those who had a BMI in the normal range of <21 kg/m². For those whose waist circumference was in the highest group, they had a 56 percent increase risk of diverticulitis and a 96 percent increase risk of diverticular bleed. Thus, obesity puts patients at a much higher risk of diverticulosis complications.
Does physical activity make a difference?
Physical activity is critical for reducing diverticular disease risk, although the exact mechanism is not yet understood. Regardless, the results are impressive. In a large prospective study, those with the greatest amount of exercise were 37 percent less likely to have diverticular disease compared to those with the least amount (10). Jogging and running seemed to have the most benefit. When the authors combined exercise with fiber intake, there was a dramatic 256 percent reduction in diverticular disease risk.
If you are focused on preventing diverticular disease and its complications, lifestyle modifications may provide the greatest benefit.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Increase fruits, vegetables and whole grains and eliminate processed meats
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
For many of us, Independence Day launches a long string of summer barbecues. What if you could use these to kick-start your path to better health?
In the past, I have written about the dangers of processed meats in terms of causing chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. These are barbecue and picnic staples. But there are healthier alternatives. If we lean into alternatives, like those found in a Mediterranean-style diet, we can improve our health while enjoying mouth-watering dishes.
The Mediterranean-style diet includes green leafy vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, whole grains and small amounts of fish and olive oil. The options are far from tasteless.
At a memorable family barbecue, we had an array of succulent choices. These included a three-bean salad, mandarin orange salad with mixed greens and a light raspberry vinaigrette, ratatouille with eggplant and zucchini, salmon fillets baked with mustard and slivered almonds, roasted corn on the cob, roasted vegetable shish kebobs, and a large bowl of melons and berries. I am drooling at the memory of this buffet. Let’s look at the scientific evidence that explains why these foods help us.
Cancer prevention
A systematic review initially published in 2016 and updated in 2017 provides a comprehensive look at the results of studies focused on weighing the effects of adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet on cancer risk and progression (1, 2). When the authors pooled and analyzed cohort studies and randomized control trials, they found an inverse relationship between cancer mortality risk and high adherence to the diet. This means that the more compliant participants were, the lower their risk of cancer mortality.
When making the same comparison between high adherence and low adherence from studies of specific cancers, they identified risk reductions for colorectal (17 percent), prostate (four percent), gastric (27 percent), and liver cancers (42 percent) (1). Further study also found high adherence reduced the risks of breast, head and neck, gallbladder, and biliary tract cancer (2).
The authors note that, while it’s improbable that any single component of the diet resulted in these effects, they were able to demonstrate significant inverse correlations between specific food groups and overall cancer risk. For example, the higher the regular consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, the lower the risk. All three of these fit right in at an outdoor feast!
Looking more closely at specific cancers, another study found that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent pancreatic cancer. This is critical, since by the time there are symptoms, often the cancer has spread to other organs (3). In a case control (epidemiological observational) study, cooked vegetables showed a 43 percent reduction and non-citrus fruits showed an even more impressive 59 percent reduction in risk of pancreatic cancer (4). Interestingly, cooked vegetables, not just raw ones, had a substantial effect.
Diabetes treatment and prevention
Fish might play an important role in reducing the risk of diabetes. In a large prospective study that followed Japanese men for five years, those in the highest quartile of fish and seafood intake had a substantial decrease in risk of type 2 diabetes (5). Smaller fish, such as mackerel and sardines, had a slightly greater effect than large fish and seafood. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with some grilled fish on the “barbie” to help protect you from developing diabetes.
Nuts are beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. In a randomized clinical trial, mixed nuts led to a substantial reduction of hemoglobin A1C, a very important biomarker for sugar levels for the previous three months (6). As an added benefit, there was also a significant reduction in LDL, bad cholesterol, which reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The nuts used in the study were raw almonds, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts and macadamias. How easy is it to grab a small handful of unsalted raw nuts, about 2 ounces, on a daily basis to help treat diabetes?
Stroke prevention
Olive oil appears to have a substantial effect in preventing strokes. The Three City study showed that olive oil may have a protective effect against stroke. There was a 41 percent reduction in stroke events in those who used olive oil (7). Study participants, who were followed for a mean of 5.2 years, did not have a history of stroke at the start of the trial.
Though these are promising results, I caution you to use no more than one tablespoon of olive oil per day, since it’s calorically dense.
It is not difficult to substitute the beneficial Mediterranean-style diet for processed meats, or at least add them to the selection. This plant-based diet can help you prevent many chronic diseases. So, this Independence Day and beyond, plan to include some delicious, healthy choices.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Poor air quality can be dangerous for pets too.
Pixabay photo
By Matthew Kearns, DVM
Dr. Matthew Kearns
The Canadian Forest fires are still burning and there are recommendations to stay inside. The good news is that the smoke associated with forest fires do not contain harmful gases and compounds in high concentrations as compared to a housefire. This does not mean that the smoke is not harmful, just less harmful. How does smoke and poor air quality affect our pets? Let’s use this article to explore this.
Fine particulates associated with forest fires can damage the airway starting at the larynx (voicebox) all the way down to the lungs. These particles (especially if they contained chemicals like plastics, etc) can cause inflammation that will decrease clearance, cause tissue sloughing, promote small clot formation, and lead to edema. Edema is a diffuse accumulation of fluid within the tissue itself. This edema can narrow the diameter of trachea, or windpipe, as well as cause fluid to settle in the lung tissue itself.
A secondary complication to this tissue damage and edema is the risk of secondary infections. Bacteria will take advantage of this temporary breakdown in the immune system and cause bacterial bronchitis and pneumonia.
The first gas to consider in any fire is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is in higher concentration in any fire. Carbon monoxide is such a dangerous compound because it competes with oxygen to bind with hemoglobin on red blood cells. As a matter of fact, hemoglobin has an affinity of 200-300 times more for carbon monoxide than oxygen. This means red blood cells can carry less oxygen and, when red blood cells can carry less oxygen, less oxygen gets to vital tissues. At the cellular level low oxygen levels leads to cell death and the release of all sorts of cytokines, or inflammatory chemicals. This leads to more cell death and entire organ systems shut down. This happens very, very quickly.
The treatment of choice with any airway injury secondary to smoke inhalation is to move our pets out of contact with the smoke. If breathing is labored then oxygen is either just as important, or a close second. Other treatments are what are called symptomatic, or based on symptoms if they present themselves. If there is coughing, cough suppressants are used. If there is wheezing, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics are used.
Once again, the good news is the poor air quality secondary to these fires presents less dangerous symptoms. However, try to keep your pets inside during these poor air quality days and bring your pet immediately to your veterinarian if any symptoms of respiratory distress occur.
Dr. Kearns practices veterinary medicine from his Port Jefferson office and is pictured with his son Matthew and his dog Jasmine.
Goat yoga participant Phoebe Barnett with a baby goat on her back. Photo by Colleen Kelly
By Melissa Arnold
Picture this: It’s a balmy summer evening, and you’ve gotten the chance to take a yogaclass on the sprawling grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society. The lush grass springs back under your bare feet as you roll out your mat. The wind blows gently through the trees. As you move from pose to pose, surrounded by nature and gorgeous historic buildings, serenity wraps around you like a blanket.
And then, a baby goat nuzzles against your backside, attempting to climb you like a mountain during Downward Dog.
Scenes like this one play out all summer long at the historical society, which has hosted wildly popular goat yoga classes for the past several years. It’s one of many ways executive director Priya Kapoor is inviting the community to come and explore.
“When I first got here, I fell in love with the community and the property. I’m always thinking about what else we can do and create to make this place as welcoming as it can be,” said Kapoor. “We have a beautiful 22-acre property and we want to be able to showcase this gem that’s in their own backyard.”
Goat yoga originated on a farm in Oregon less than a decade ago and the trend caught on quickly nationwide, largely thanks to social media. When the Smithtown program launched in 2017, the first class had a wait list of more than 700 people.
It’s a joy for Karen Haleiko, owner of Steppin’ Out Ponies and Petting Zoo, to watch her animals interact with people of all ages. The traveling pony ride and petting zoo company focuses on both education and entertainment, as well as animal rescue efforts — they’ve done more than 500 animal rescues in the last eight years.
About 15 goats come to each yoga class. Haleiko said the goats decide for themselves each time if they want to go for a ride.
“My goats are very social, they crave people and genuinely enjoy being a part of this experience,” Haleiko said. “Goats have a calming aura … It’s common to include goats as companions with race horses in between races. They’re also very comical, and being with them makes you laugh, helps you relax and forget about the worries of the world for a while.”
Each 45-minute yoga class is led by Haleiko’s aunt, Doreen Buckman, who’s taught yoga for the last 20 years. Buckman said she admired the strength, flexibility and overall vitality of female yogis in India, where the ancient practice began.
“The environment at the [goat yoga] classes is warm and welcoming. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never done yoga before or if you can’t do the poses exactly,” she said. “No one is judging anyone else. We want people to have fun and do what feels most comfortable for them, whether that’s an advanced headstand or spending the time sitting quietly and taking deep breaths.”
The goats are allowed to roam freely and interact with students throughout the session. Bigger goats might cuddle up next to you and let you lean on them for balance, while more spunky goats might bounce around you, climb on you or frolic together.
This summer’s classes include some animal newcomers, including five baby goats — triplets Punky Brewster, Finn, and Evie; twins Captain America and Loki — as well as an alpaca named Mazie. Once yoga is finished, there’s time to mingle and pet the animals, take pictures and explore the grounds. Keep an eye out for the sheep and chickens that live on the property, too.
Buckman said that many goat yoga attendees are repeat visitors, and she’s not surprised. “One of the things I hear most often is, ‘I really needed this,’” she said. “I call goat yoga a laugh fest — it’s a hilarious time, and laughter really is the best medicine.”
Outdoor yoga will be held throughout the summer at 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. in the field behind the Frank Brush Barn at the Smithtown Historical Society, 211 Middle Country Road. Upcoming sessions include July 7, July 21, Aug. 7, Aug. 21 and Sept. 7. Tickets are $30 per person and pre-registration is required at www.eventbrite.com. Children ages 7 through 17 are welcome accompanied by an adult. Please bring a mat, towel and water bottle. Yoga mats will not be provided. For more information, call 631-265-6768.
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