When Dr. Jack Resnick retires, the loss for Roosevelt Island may be greater than many that preceded it combined. He’s been the “Roosevelt Doctor” for over a quarter of a century. But September 29th will be his last day.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Dr. Jack Resnick Retires
Dr. Resnick’s retirement follows closely that of his longtime colleague Dr. Kathy Grimm last year.
The two shared adjoining office spaces in Rivercross until 2017 when they accepted an invitation to move into Roosevelt Island Urgent Care. Both stayed on after Urgent Care abruptly pulled up roots a year later.
Families grew up with Dr. Grimm, then graduated as adults to Resnick, but each was more than a small-town doctor.
A pioneer in the field of providing cost-effective healthcare to homebound patients, Resnick, in 2011, published an OpEd in the New York Times, Bring Healthcare Home. Unfortunately, the link for the article no longer works.
But we talked at length about the topic and his passion for fulfilling a glaring need and doing it right. On Roosevelt Island and nearby, he was the last of the doctors still making home visits, many if not most bringing his expertise to homebound residents.
But his reach was even broader.
Jack Resnick, Community Leader
To those of us who knew and/or worked with him, it was always “Jack.” He was just another Roosevelt Islander but, also, one who pitched in.
Jack’s most legendary contribution was starting, editing, writing and publishing the Main Street WIRE. He launched the first issue after the state, with the subway station opened, thought about taking down the Tram, which was intended only as a temporary, fill-in fixture.
Through the WIRE, he rallied community support for making the Tram permanent and – obviously, these days – he and the community won. The WIRE – Westview, Island House, Rivercross, Eastwood (now Roosevelt Landings) – survived for over twenty years, a tenure outlasting many other print publications.
Times change, though, and eventually, free bi-monthly doorstep deliveries migrated to direct mail. Finally, the connection every Roosevelt Islander shared fell to online competition. The cost of publishing became greater than the community could bear.
As Jack Resnick retires, others will remember his commitment to – and participation in – Main Street Theatre and Dance. It made him, not just a relied-on medical professional, but also a pillar in the founding of two of Roosevelt Islands’s most successful and enduring institutions.
He turns the key at 520 Main Street for the last time at the end of this month.
Best wishes and good health, Jack. You will be missed.
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