Meet Caren | Rye & Rye Brook Moms


Native to Rye, NY, Caren https://www.northeastmedicalgroup.org/physicians/caren-l-kurtzgoodman.aspx is a pediatrician for Northeast Medical Group Pediatrics Rye Brook.
 
Where are you originally from and how long have you lived in town?
I grew up in Rye and graduated from Rye High School.  I attended college in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania, where I met my husband.  My husband and I lived in New York while I attended medical school, completed my residency and had my first job in pediatrics.  We moved back to Rye 9 years ago.
Children and Ages?
Bailey (F), 14 yrs old
Della (F), 12 yrs old
Davis (M), 9 yrs old
 
One thing people would be surprised to know about you….
 
I was a high school lacrosse goalie.
 
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
 
I couldn’t have been a working mother without the help of my parents. My husband and I looked at many towns in Westchester and Connecticut when we were moving from New York City. We chose Rye because it’s a fabulous place to live, and my parents still live in town. My parents are actively involved in my children’s lives – my dad doesn’t miss a soccer game and is terrific at driving soccer carpool.
 
I am able to parent successfully because of our amazing friends in the community of Rye.  There have been many times when we have been in a bind and a friend will step up to help.  Asking for help is not a skill of mine, but I’ve learned that it really does take a village.
 
Favorite things to do with your kids?
 
My kids are at the age now where it’s so much fun to travel with them. I absolutely love taking them to new places. My oldest daughter is about to go to high school, and I feel like it is my duty as her parent to show her the world before she goes off to college.
 
We also love the theater. We try to take advantage of the proximity of NYC and go to as many Broadway shows as we can.
 
Are you involved in a business venture, local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world?
I am a pediatrician in Rye Brook affiliated with the Yale New Haven Health System (NEMG). I have been working in Rye Brook for the past 5 years. Before that, I worked for at a private pediatrics practice in Manhattan on the Upper East Side.
 
In this current practice, there are 6 pediatricians including myself (Kristen Woodard, MD; Kristen Sapanaro, APRN; Amy Cram, MD; Kristin Cassasanta, MD; and Arielle Ornstein, MD).  I think they are outstanding at their jobs and I look forward to going to work each day. We all share the same ideals for the practice of medicine in that we practice, evidence-based medicine. It is an art to know which illnesses to “watch and wait”, and which illnesses require a further work-up and take-action approach.
 
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
 
The community of Rye / Rye Brook was so welcoming to me when I started to practice here 5 years ago. I had been an established physician in New York City but when I moved up to Rye, I had to start over and rebuild my practice. My biggest source of patients has been referrals from existing patients.  It means so much to me when families trust me enough to refer friends and family for my care.

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