DR. PETER BAZIOTIS, an anesthesiologist who has practiced medicine for more than 20 years, recently was sworn in as president of the YMCA of Pawtucket’s board of directors. Baziotis previously served as the YMCA of Pawtucket’s vice president and is a graduate of Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
What got you first interested in wanting to get involved with the YMCA of Pawtucket? I was born at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket and lived the first 10 years of my life a few streets over from McCoy Stadium. My dad operated his restaurant, Kip’s, for 40 years on Newport Avenue and my entire professional life has also been based in Pawtucket. Even my three children were born at Memorial Hospital. I’m a “Pawtucket boy” and always will be at heart. I’m so proud to serve the Y’s community mission not only in Pawtucket but throughout northern Rhode Island and am excited to have the opportunity to lead the YMCA of Pawtucket in its 129th year.
How much has the YMCA of Pawtucket grown since you first joined the board in 2008, and in what ways did it grow? The YMCA of Pawtucket has grown a great deal since the beginning of my tenure 10 years ago. In 2012, the association merged with the Woonsocket YMCA, extending its reach in northern Rhode Island. Today, our service area includes communities from the Blackstone, Mass., border to Coventry.
We also have strengthened the foundations of our association by adding key positions such as that of [chief operating officer], [human resources] director and finance director. We continue to seek out ways that we can partner with our neighbors to work toward our cause of strengthening communities.
What would you consider your biggest accomplishment in bettering the Y as a board member? As part of our commitment to truly being open to all, YMCA staff and volunteers dedicated a great deal of time in 2017 to reducing barriers to accessing our facilities and programs. The result was “Membership for All,” or fully income-based pricing. Since 2015, the YMCA of Pawtucket has awarded [more than] $1.2 million per year in scholarships to children and families in our service area, but analysis of community demographics showed that we were still underserving some of our neediest neighbors. We implemented Membership for All to ensure that anyone who can benefit from our facilities and programs is able to participate, regardless of their socioeconomic reality. We’ve added nearly 450 new members since the beginning of the year and look forward to welcoming even more new members of the Y family.
What new initiatives or goals for the Y do you plan on introducing as [board] president? Addressing chronic disease, one of the most pressing social issues in our communities as identified in our recent strategic planning process, is one of my main goals as president. Thirty-three percent of residents in our service area are living with prediabetes, and 5 percent are living with some form of cancer. I look forward to lending my advice and expertise as a physician to assist staff in implementing evidence-based health and wellness programs such as the Y Diabetes Prevention Program and Livestrong program, and in making a measurable difference in the health of our communities.