North Woodmere PA administers Covid tests

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You might have to sidestep the toys of Tamar Moskowitz’s children, but in the basement of the physician’s assistant North Woodmere house a serious and neighborly action is taking place. Moskowitz is administering Covid tests for free.

Moskowitz, 26, a PA for two years, works under the direction of Dr. Yechiel Zagelbaum, who founded Williamsburg Pediatrics in that section of Brooklyn in 2002.

“There was a need, I was a new graduate and during the whole pandemic it was hard to get the tests and I said why not help people get tested and make sure they stay safe,” Moskowitz said about why she began doing the testing out of her home.

A physician’s assistant are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient's principal healthcare provider. PA’s are nationally certified and state-licensed. Medical training includes thousands of hours and there is a three-month difference between the academic classroom component between a doctor and a physician’s assistant.

Recently, at the height of people needing testing, Moskowitz said she administered 80 tests per day. Working with Lapin Care, another Brooklyn-based health care provider. Moskowitz administers the PCR and rapid Covid tests, along with providing flu shots. Tests are sent to a professional lab for processing.

“People seem really happy, its convenient, people are not waiting on line in the cold,” she said, adding that patients have driven from Westchester, Brooklyn and Queens, with the majority coming from the Five Towns and surrounding communities.

“At a time when everyone is waiting on line, waiting for an appointment or waiting for a delivery of Covid home rapid tests, I was so relieved to learn about Tamar, a young PA right here in North Woodmere,” Audrey Goodman wrote in an email. “I didn’t need an appointment, just had to bring my insurance card and fill out brief contact information. She has a private area for actual testing and the whole thing took maybe 10 minutes! At such a stressful time it was so nice to deal with a kind professional.”

In need of a Covid test or the other services Moskowitz offers call (646) 217-8082.