Dr. Vladimir Barayev, Rivertowns Pediatrics
By Dom Provenzano, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Vladimir Barayev, 35, is not your ordinary pediatrician. Often seen sporting a rainbow tie-dye lab coat, Barayev is dedicated to changing how parents see healthcare, one patient at a time.
Born in Uzbekistan, Barayev moved to Queens at the age of four, where he spent his formative years. As a high school senior, Barayev was one of 90 students chosen by the City University of New York (CUNY)’s medical school known then as the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Equation, which provided a fast track for students interested in primary care professions, such as pediatrics. The program allowed him to complete college and medical school (at New York Medical College) in 7 years. Among the 90 students chosen for the Gateway Program was the woman who would later become his wife, the woman who drew him to Staten Island.
“My parents were not rich, to say the least, and my childhood in this country started on welfare while we lived in a shared basement with another family. In return for being studious at school, I was invested in by New York City,” said Barayev. “I love this city, and always felt a debt of gratitude towards it for investing so deeply in me.”
After completing his medical education, Barayev completed his residency at Northwell’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center (the “Jewel” of Northwell Health) in Long Island. Fans of Netflix’s Emergency NYC should be well-acquainted with the hospital and its doctors, who mentored Barayev.
The young doctor began his career in Hamilton Heights, NY and then Staten Island with the National Health Service Corps., which services underserved and underprivileged communities of color as a primary care doctor and pediatrician. “It’s what I love to do, my passion. It’s my way of giving back to the city that gave so much to me.” Thanks to the affordability and expediated nature of the Gateway Program, Barayev was able to minimize his student loan debt, enabling him to fund his own practice.
However, during his first years in private practice, he quickly became disillusioned with the organization of the American healthcare system. “I saw all the corruption and the golden handcuffs of medical care in this country. If you go through insurance, the price is astronomically high, it’s an arms race, and does not correlate with quality. I went with a different route.”
Barayev’s New Springville-based practice, Rivertowns Pediatrics of Staten Island, provides pediatric concierge care to clients. He learned about this improved model of care from colleagues starting their own practices outside of the “insurance controlled” typical medical office model. One of Barayev’s closest friends and mentors through this process was, Dr. Nitin Gupta of Dobbs Ferry NY, a pioneer and national leader in the pediatric concierge care arena. This transformed structure allows Barayev to spend more one-on-one time with clients, who become family. “You can’t form a doctor-patient relationship in a once-per-year 15-minute visit. My philosophy is, I want you to trust me because I’m your friend, your family member, a member of your community.”
Barayev states that, due to the rushed nature of traditional medicine, many diagnoses can be missed or overlooked, especially in children. “I've seen children with autism and I've seen their diagnoses completely missed. I've seen how devastated families can be. I have also seen the ethnic and racial disparity. If you're a Black or Hispanic child, you are far less likely to get diagnosed and far less likely to get the care you need. I wanted to break this pattern.”
Barayev is also an advocate and warrior for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He is involved in the GRACE Foundation of Staten Island, which works to enhance the quality of life for children, teens, adults and families living with Autism. He is also very involved with the Chamber and its Young Professionals Group (YPG), which organizes volunteer efforts and provides professional development opportunities for young Staten Islanders.
“The Chamber has been the number one contributor to success in my business, hands down, no other group comes close. I use the Chamber to show my personality, to show who I am, and what I am about. The Chamber pretty much is my business partner. That's how I see it.”
As Barayev changes the way people view medical care, he continues to keep his eye toward his ultimate goal: bettering the community that gave so much to him, through quality care and personal attention.
“I want my children to be proud of where they grow up. I want the fact that I existed to have made moved the needle some point, and I want my community to be elevated because I was here. If someone is hurting, I am hurting – so I will do as much as I can to mend that.”
