Brighton Ocular Center Says DOT Has Turned A Blind Eye To Needs Of Its Patients

Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt was the only U.S. President who was blind in one eye? Or that frogs cannot swallow with their eyes open? Those are some of the facts presented in the free coloring books created by The Ocular Center, a family-run ophthalmology practice on Neptune Avenue, near Ocean Parkway, in Brighton Beach.

The medical center’s impact on the community can be measured by the numerous citations and commendations that line the halls near the reception area, including a 2009 “Man of the Year” award from the City Council for the center’s founder and medical director, Stanley Bykov. There are also little thank-you notes from patients posted on the walls, and a growing collection of artwork made by one of the employees as a token of appreciation for the support she has received there.

But despite the center’s status in the community, the owners still have trouble getting city agencies to address issues that would improve the quality of service for their patients. Stanley’s father Sam, who manages the business, wants the Department of Transportation to install a street lamp outside their office. He said the dark area outside their front entrance is a problem, particularly during the short winter days, for patients who are elderly and visually impaired. Sam reached out to the agency in 2012, right after the business relocated from a smaller space on Brighton 6th Street, to ask for the extra light, as well as for designated parking for doctors and ambulances.

He said his requests have largely been shot down or ignored.

“I am asking for a simple thing. Why do I have to beg? I’m not begging for myself,” Sam said. “There is a light across the street but not outside our office. Most of our patients are elderly people with poor vision, and it’s dangerous for them after dark.”

He plans to share his story next week at the Brooklyn hearing for Comptroller Scott Stringer’s Red Tape Commission. The comptroller launched the commission, which is made up of business owners and regulatory experts, in order to identify bureaucratic hurdles and determine how the city can be a better partner for businesses.

It’s no secret that operating a business in New York City involves dealing with a morass of bureaucracy and red tape. But for the Bykovs, it’s the struggle to be heard by city officials that has caused the greatest frustration.

“It’s not like we are a candy store or a Walmart,” explained Stanley. “We’re treating people that have physical ailments who are often in dire need of some kind of assistance. Simple things like proper lighting can go a long way.”

A spokesperson for the DOT said the agency denied Sam Bykov’s request for an additional street lamp because an engineering survey determined the lighting in the area met standards set by the Illumination Engineering Society and the DOT’s Division of Street Lighting. And while the agency did add an ambulance parking space outside the center, the spokesperson said the city already affords special parking privileges to vehicles with MD license plates near hospitals and medical clinics.

Sam has since followed up with phone calls and letters to the DOT several times, all of which were ignored, he said. He said the agency fails to understand how important a few parking spaces and a street lamp are to improving patient care at the center.

“No one called me, no one paid attention to my requests. It was like: ‘Okay, we’re going to write down your case number and that’s it,'” he said.

He said doctors sometimes spend almost half an hour circling the block to find parking, while patients with painful eye injuries wait to be treated, and the center has to take great care to ensure the safety of the elderly and visually impaired when the enter or exit the office.

Sam said he doesn’t like to use the word business to describe the medical center — “A McDonald’s is a business, this is a community service” — but he said greater attention from the DOT would go a long way in helping the center thrive.

“I believe if we can take care of these issues, it is going to bring more patients to our office. It’s going to give us a greater opportunity to take care of more people,” he said. “I hope I’m able to work together with [DOT]. I believe it’s a chance to look closer to some of the problems for our patients, and for my community.”

The Ocular Center is located at 384 Neptune Avenue, near Ocean Parkway. Appointments can be made online or by calling 718-615-0200.

Comptroller Scott Stringer’s Red Tape Commission will take place on Friday, October 16 from 8:30-10am at Brooklyn Law School (Geraldo’s Cafe, Feil Hall, 1st floor) at 205 State Street in Downtown Brooklyn. All NYC business owners are welcome to attend — if you’re a business owner who would like to submit written testimony or comments, send them to redtape@comptroller.nyc.gov.