As the number of coronavirus cases continues to surge in areas like Great Neck, a new business on Middle Neck Road was opened by two people who want to keep their community as safe and healthy as possible.
Dr. Afshin Tavakoly and Miriam Tavakoly, a married couple, have lived on the Great Neck peninsula for nearly a decade. Before they officially opening Advanced Internal Medical Care on 623 Middle Neck Road last week, Afshin spent all of his time at the Queens Hospital Center in the Chest Pain Unit.
A graduate of Shiraz Medical School in Iran, he served his residency at Queens Hospital Center. His speciality is cardiology and caring for patients with diseases like asthma, pneumonia, vertigo and sinus issues. Miriam Tavakoly is a physician assistant.
“For me, medicine is not only a business,” Afshin said in an interview. “I really love the knowledge behind medicine, and I pride myself on following updated guidelines and discoveries every day.”
Advanced Care, they said, offers antibody and rapid testing for the coronavirus, with results ready in up to 15 minutes. The center also offers PCR testing, which tests for genetic material specific to the virus and can more easily detect the presence of the virus, even for someone with no symptoms. The results for that take 24 to 48 hours to come in, Afshin said.
Miriam said people are encouraged to call and set up appointments any day between 9 a.m and 4 p.m. but added that she and Afshin will make exceptions in order to remain flexible with patients whose schedules don’t allow for that.
“We pride ourselves on being there for the community, so people can call and schedule an appointment for after-hours if they really need to,” Miriam said. “We even had someone come in at 8 p.m. last week.”
Afshin said he also enjoys passing along knowledge to his patients so they may live a healthier lifestyle. Knowing the facts, he said, has never been more important in the health and wellness field than right now, due to the coronavirus. At a time in the pandemic when the Great Neck peninsula is deemed one of Long Island’s few “yellow zones,” Afshin and Miriam stepped in to offer a much-needed service to the community.
As of Sunday, more than 500 people had tested positive for the coronavirus in the Village of Great Neck. More than 400 people had tested positive in the Village of Kings Point and nearly 330 tested positive in the Village of Great Neck Plaza, according to county figures.
In terms of information for people to depend upon, Afshin said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are two of the most reputable.
“The most important thing people can do is stay educated and listen to the true facts,” Afshin said. “Social distancing works, wearing a mask works, and getting tested works. We are in a new environment than we have never seen before. It is so crucial that people continue to listen to the facts.”
Miriam touted the Great Neck community and said even though she and Afshin knew how warm and inviting the area has been for nearly a decade, the support they have seen as the newest members of Middle Neck Road’s business district has been overwhelming.
“You couldn’t ask for a better place to open up a practice,” Miriam said. “The past few weeks right before and during our initial opening, the amount of people that have stopped in just to introduce themselves or wish us good luck on our journey has been truly outstanding.”
One of those community members was Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral.
Bral, who joined the two in cutting the ceremonial ribbon to officially open their business last week, said: “Many businesses have unfortunately suffered during the pandemic because of closures and restrictions, but to have a new business open up here in the village shows it is still vibrant and that individuals are willing to come here.
“This specific business is also of the utmost importance as they are providing a much-needed service to the community in the ongoing fight against the virus.”
Bral said conversations with “a couple of other businesses” about moving to Great Neck have taken place but did not provide specifics since it remains a “private matter.” He said he hopes others follow in the footsteps of Advanced Care and take a trip to the village and see what it has to offer.
“We are certainly business-friendly, and we are in the midst of doing a lot of revitalization in the near future,” he said. “I hope that merchants use this time to start looking at our village as a potential future home for their business to grow and thrive.”
To schedule an appointment to get tested or for more information on Advanced Care, call 516-620-4555.
