IDCC opens integrated health care facility in Coney Island

Coney Island has a new health care facility offering one-stop specialized services for community members.

Interborough Developmental and Consultation Center, in partnership with Maimonides Medical Center, hosted the grand opening of the IDCC Medical Center at a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 23. The new facility will serve the local community with high quality medical and behavioral health care.

Located at 2846 Stillwell Avenue, the new building is just a few steps from the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue train station.

Founded over four decades ago by the late Dr. Leon Gersten, IDCC’s mission is to offer the very best care to all who come through its doors, no matter their age, race or background.

As with the other IDCC locations throughout Brooklyn, the new Coney Island facility will have a diverse and multilingual staff, offering specialized services for children, adults and geriatrics.

As an integrated care facility, IDCC Coney Island offers patients the convenience of receiving all their health care needs in one place, and facilitates communication between the medical and behavioral health staff. 

The IDCC Coney Island facility has a staff of mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, therapists and care managers, as well as primary care physicians, physical therapy and internal medicine, among other specialties.

Yossef Newman, a member of the IDCC board of directors, called it a monumental day for the Coney Island community. “As one of the largest organizations of its kind in Brooklyn, Interborough is an organization with a 30-year track record of providing mental health counseling with a focus on the individual and the distinct communities those individuals make up,” Newman explained.

For Newman, it was personal. His mother was a nurse for decades at Maimonides and his father was the director of respiratory therapy for over 25 years. “I was literally raised in the halls of that hospital,” he said.

And Newman was thrilled with the changes he’s witnessed. “During my five years on the board of Interborough, I’ve watched it go from being a top-notch service provider to an organization playing a leading role in integrating mental health, primary care and substance abuse services.”

Newman credited Dr. Stephen Gersten, the CEO of IDCC, for his early leadership role in the organization. Gersten himself was following in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Leon Gersten.

“A primary factor that has helped IDCC sustain a consistent level of success is our staff’s focus on listening to our patients,” said Gersten. “By taking the time and effort to listen to each person’s concerns, our staff is better able to address their individualized needs.”

IDCC Program Director Tanya Jorge is proud to be part of the IDCC family. “For many years people have struggled to get all the services they need under one umbrella with confidentiality. We have a staff that speaks about 74 languages and we’re here at night and on weekends,” said Jorge.

“I am thrilled to represent the hospital and our department and celebrate the relationship with IDCC,” said Melissa Black, senior manager of program implementation at Maimonides Medical Center. “It’s a very exciting addition to this community.”

Jorge said it was a fantastic feeling to open up IDCC in the community.

“This will be fantastic for Coney Island and something that both the state of New York and the city of Brooklyn are looking to champion throughout the rest of the community. We’re glad to be a part of it,” explained Gersten.

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