Many in our community fondly remember Dr. Keyhan (Kay) Farian who passed away in 2010 at the age of 80. After her retirement as a physician at Lincoln Hospital, she made visits to The Nyack Library a part of her daily routine. Dr. Farian could be found there each morning, after breakfast, with her son, Richard. The Staff always enjoyed beginning their days with the ever-engaging Dr. Farian as she read the newspapers. What many may not know is that Dr. Farian was born and raised in Iran, the second of seven sisters in a prominent family. At a time when arranged marriages were the norm, she was encouraged and able to attend college and medical school at Tehran University before coming to the United States in the 1950’s. Dr. Farian completed her internal medicine residency in
the South Bronx at Lincoln Hospital, and remained there as a member of the attending physician staff for the next 40 years, until her retirement in 2003.
Keyhan Farian would become more important to the individuals of the South Bronx than the 9 United States Presidents that served during her tenure. She was among the first to recognize the enormous need to provide high-quality emergency care to one of the largest, underserved populations in the country, and though already in her 50’s, she began to devote all of her efforts to emergency medicine.
Dr. Farian’s family specifically chose The Nyack Library Carnegie Room as a lasting tribute to her because qualities (facets?) of her life were shared with the Library’s original benefactor, Andrew Carnegie. Both from an immigrant background, they not only made this country their home, but were devoted to impacting the lives of others. In her instance, through enhancing the medical care for the poor. The Nyack Library knows well the number
of deserving institutions and the many lives Dr. Farian touched in a variety of ways. We are therefore incredibly honored to be chosen to hold the legacy to her and her life’s work, and are proud that her name will be linked with that of Carnegie in the Carnegie-Farian Room.
As her medical colleague, Dr. Flomenbaum most aptly said: “…the whole of Dr. Farian’s accomplishments is much greater than the sum of her individual achievements….Friendly, gentle, determined, she lived her life the way
she chose to. She never stopped learning, never stopped teaching, and never stopped caring. A hero and a role model, Kay Farian was a woman of valor ….”
the South Bronx at Lincoln Hospital, and remained there as a member of the attending physician staff for the next 40 years, until her retirement in 2003.
Keyhan Farian would become more important to the individuals of the South Bronx than the 9 United States Presidents that served during her tenure. She was among the first to recognize the enormous need to provide high-quality emergency care to one of the largest, underserved populations in the country, and though already in her 50’s, she began to devote all of her efforts to emergency medicine.
Dr. Farian’s family specifically chose The Nyack Library Carnegie Room as a lasting tribute to her because qualities (facets?) of her life were shared with the Library’s original benefactor, Andrew Carnegie. Both from an immigrant background, they not only made this country their home, but were devoted to impacting the lives of others. In her instance, through enhancing the medical care for the poor. The Nyack Library knows well the number
of deserving institutions and the many lives Dr. Farian touched in a variety of ways. We are therefore incredibly honored to be chosen to hold the legacy to her and her life’s work, and are proud that her name will be linked with that of Carnegie in the Carnegie-Farian Room.
As her medical colleague, Dr. Flomenbaum most aptly said: “…the whole of Dr. Farian’s accomplishments is much greater than the sum of her individual achievements….Friendly, gentle, determined, she lived her life the way
she chose to. She never stopped learning, never stopped teaching, and never stopped caring. A hero and a role model, Kay Farian was a woman of valor ….”
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