Archive for year: 2019
Meet Truly Together Cardiology Nurse Practitioner Kareem Nugdalla
This post is part of a blog series highlighting Northwell Health’s advanced clinical providers (ACP). Each Northwell Health employee was nominated by their manager as an individual who exemplifies a Northwell Health value.
This month, we’re proud to introduce you to the Truly Together, Kareem Nugdalla, who is currently a cardiology Nurse Practitioner at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, New York. Read below to learn more about Kareem and what it’s like to be an ACP at Northwell.
Kareem started his career with Northwell in 2013 as a registered nurse on the telemetry unit at North Shore University Hospital. From there, he became certified as a cardiac vascular nurse and then took the next step in his career by accepting a full scholarship as part of the inaugural class of the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. “My managers encouraged me to become a nurse practitioner and my co-workers supported my dream,” he notes. “Team members have come up to me and said I was their inspiration for going back to school. There was never a roadblock, everyone embodied the ‘Truly Together’ spirit.”
Upon graduating, Kareem became an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner and works as a key member of a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary team at Southside Hospital.
What Kareem likes most about working at Southside is the high level of respect and trust that encourages collaboration between all members of the healthcare team, particularly in his relationships with his physician and physician assistant counterparts. Kareem feels that Truly Together collaborative care creates an environment where ideas can be shared and his input is valued. “When everyone works as a team, you can tackle problems by coming up with solutions together. If there is a challenge, I never leave a team member to face it alone. Even if I don’t have the answer, I look for the answer with them.”
Kareem is also proud that his role significantly impacts his local community in a positive way. To him, being part of Northwell is about delivering more than just healthcare; it’s taking care of his own community. “There is a moral compass and a culture of care that drives us to excellence,” says Kareem.
We are proud of Kareem, a Truly Together ACP! If you’re Made for working with a team of exceptional advanced clinical providers, explore our opportunities at Northwell Health.
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2019 President’s Award Finalist- Exceptional Patient/Customer Experience
Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Exceptional Patient/Customer Experience award recognizes an individual who is Made for Northwell Health: made for caring and protecting our patients and communities – made for leading innovation and change that inspires our colleagues and turns tomorrow into a breathtaking opportunity. Meet this year’s finalists.
Salvatore Dimatteo
Supervisor, Rehabilitation Services, STARS, Huntington
A football injury that could have ended his collegiate football career instead inspired Sal Dimatteo to the profession of physical therapy, where he leads a practice filled with compassion for patients. As a physical therapist supervising rehabilitation at the STARS Huntington location, he overcame his disappointment at low Press Ganey patient scores the office was receiving by reaching out to colleagues and coming up with distinctive and fresh ways of encouraging team members and patients to provide feedback.
Sal’s approach led to a huge surge in responses and improved scores. Under his leadership, STARS Huntington was ranked in the 98th percentile nationally (a score of 98.5) for Likelihood to Recommend for 2018. This was the highest ranking for all STARS locations as well as the Northwell Outpatient Rehabilitation Network.
His hands-on style nurtures a team approach to provide patients with the best care. And Sal’s leadership brings out the best in his team — bringing them together as a cohesive unit and empowered to provide the best possible service. His upbeat, positive style and work ethic encourages the team member to perform at a high level and bring the best possible care to patients.
Kacey Farber, LMSW
Social Worker, Huntington Hospital
Kacey Farber went from a teaching career to one of social work and a transformative role as a leader in helping families cope with the loss of a baby. Dissatisfied with the resources available that would allow her to assist grieving families, she decided to create her own.
Kacey connected first with the Star Legacy Foundation, which works to increase awareness about neonatal loss and increase family support. She then established the Huntington Hospital
Bereavement and Support Group. Working with a network of families who had lost babies led to a plan to create a perinatal bereavement garden, a warm and comforting space to memorialize lost children. She coordinated fundraising to support the garden, which opened last fall.
As a dedicated problem solver, Kacey identified a need and fixed it through research, planning, networking and fundraising. She also helps manage the bundled orthopedic patients and has become an expert on providing transitional care. In addition, she was the first-ever mentor for Master level social work candidates in the Case Management department. Kacey is also the certified intern supervisor for the department’s three social work interns. She is an incredible mentor and has motivated others to become a certified social work intern supervisor.
Bulah Martin
Lead Phlebotomist, Northwell Health Labs
As lead phlebotomist, Bulah Martin has a knack of turning an unpopular but vital task into an experience that makes people smile. Having their blood drawn is rarely a happily anticipated event. With Bulah, her skills at minimizing the unpleasant aspects of the service, combined with her cheery personality, make for successful outcomes.
Bulah often works with special needs or very sick children where making the procedure go smoothly can be a challenge. She frequently has physicians asking for her by name. By decorating two rooms with playful decals of animals and nature, she minimizes the presence of medical equipment. Bulah has her equipment ready when the patient enters the room, gives small gifts to young children, which she pays for out of her own pocket, and eases the worries of parents who in turn, are able to calm their children. Her creative solutions ensures the necessary work of blood collection happens successfully.
Phlebotomists at Northwell Health Labs provide blood collection services for more than one million patients every year — in many cases after taking into consideration and resolving the fears and resistance of patients. Bulah teaches techniques for collecting blood samples from children and infants, and mentors phlebotomists all over the health system to show them “how it’s done,” leading patients with a positive sense of the quality performance that Northwell represents.
Adrian Mazur
Chaplain, Cohen Children’s Medical Center
Chaplain Adrian Mazur has chosen to work in the midst of medical crisis, supporting the smallest patients and their families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as they try to cope with life threatening illnesses. It is his empathy that others quickly notice as he helps fearful, weary and distressed parents who are trying to cope with some of the worst days of their lives.
Adrian, who came to the ministry from a career in finance and volunteer work with an orphanage in Ukraine, works with adolescents in pediatric hematology/oncology. There he helps to establish a connection and genuine trust as the young patients face their own mortality, changes in their appearance and an overall loss of health and stamina.
Often, Adrian plays a significant role in the lives of families that ultimately lose their child to illness. In one instance, he later drove through a snowstorm to be with one such couple at the birth of another child. It is through his presence, compassion, dedication, prayers and listening ear that he helps patients and parents redefine their hopes and maintain their dreams. Adrian’s presence brings a vitality to the hospital and all those he touches.
Kelly Ann Moed MSN, RN-BC, CSPHP
Development Instructor, Staten Island University Hospital
Kelly Ann Moed turned an idea she developed during graduate studies into a program to safeguard the well-being of hospital staff through the prevention of injuries. Taking care of patients starts with making sure our team members are well. Her Safe Patient Handling Program has led to a significant decline in the number of workforce injuries. Kelly Ann’s passion, caring and knowledge are the driving forces that have made this innovative program a success.
She has been the driving force in making sure hospital team members are properly trained and educated on the use of equipment to move and transfer patients.
Her program took a creative turn recently with Workforce Safety Olympics. It was a fun way for the team members to demonstrate their Safe Patient Handling expertise and the use of equipment to transfer and lift patients. These groups were presented with various scenarios where, within a specific time frame, together they needed to exhibit the proper choices in equipment, communication with each other and the patient, and appropriate transfer technique. The Staten Island University Hospital team members took home the gold trophy.
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2019 President’s Award Finalists: Innovation
Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Innovation award recognizes team members who were finalists in the Innovation Challenge. Northwell’s Innovation Challenge empowers team members to come up with the next big health care innovation in areas such as revenue through new or existing channels, improve patient experience, improve quality of care, positively impact health outcomes and so much more. As an organization, we understand that our people are the ones who bring our patient care to the next level, and this program gives them an opportunity to share their big ideas. Meet this year’s finalists.
AccuLABeler
AccuLABeler represents a proprietary middle-ware solution that interfaces with existing robotics machinery and a lab information system (LIS) to more efficiently relabel tubes referred to the lab for analysis from non-system sources. At Northwell, the current workflow requires 12 FTEs who perform accessioning and relabeling of these tubes. The total available market encompasses reference laboratories in the United States and abroad.
Bedside Voice Assistant
The Bedside Voice Assistant (BVA) involves the continued development of an existing prototype of a bed-side Alexa based voice assistant created by members of the Northwell Innovation Center. This innovation represents a developed software product which is cloud based, HIPAA compliant and will be agnostic to EMR system for integration and scalability.
EDCAP aza-Peptide Building Blocks for Preferred Drug Characteristics
Many pharmaceutical drugs are peptides, small fragments of proteins. When carefully chosen, peptides offer the advantage of selectivity toward a target coupled with minimal adverse side effects. However, peptides suffer from a very short half-life, and their effect can be very short lived because they are destroyed in seconds in the blood. The EDCAP technology offers a general solution to this stability issue through changing the labile peptide bond to an alternate bond that is resistant to peptidases (stable for hours in the blood).
LabFly: Mobile Phlebotomy App
The proposed innovation reflects the development of a mobile blood drawing solution for patients and caregivers. As developed, LabFly would serve as the patient facing application, and integrate with LabFly Phleb, a phlebotomist facing application. The applications have been reviewed by the Northwell OCIO, OCIO security review, penetration tests and a QM validation. Future development of the application could support on demand appointments for flu shots and strep testing, and/or integration with care delivery within emergency rooms.
Real-Time Actionable Data (RAD)
The RAD invention represents a data analysis and reporting tool which provides real time, actionable data related to ED utilization and the allocation of clinical resources. RAD addresses an unmet need in many if not all emergency rooms by supporting data driven, patient specific, decision making. This product builds upon the work conducted over the past several years within the Northwell Emergency Medicine service line.
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Meet Truly Ambitious Neurology Practice Nurse Practitioner Nichole Lopez
This post is part of a blog series highlighting Northwell Health’s advanced clinical providers (ACP). Each Northwell Health employee was nominated by their manager as an individual who exemplifies a central Northwell Health value. This month, we’re proud to introduce you to the Truly Ambitious Nichole Lopez, a nurse practitioner (NP) in one of Northwell Health’s neurology practices, who recently earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP). Read below to learn more about Nichole and what it’s like to be an ACP at Northwell.
Nichole Lopez started her healthcare career working as a hospital volunteer at age 16. By 18, she’d become an LPN. From there, she continued to invest in herself and her education, earning her Family Nurse Practitioner degree. It was then that Nichole first joined Northwell as a neurology pain and headache NP.
What Nichole likes best about being a nurse practitioner at Northwell is having the autonomy to provide patient-centered care that treats a patient holistically. Her desire to provide the best quality and access to care is what inspired her to earn her DNP degree.
A degree Nichole says wouldn’t have been possible without the growth and career development opportunities at Northwell. “Not only did Northwell provide financial support through their tuition assistance program, my colleagues supported me as well,” says Nichole. Throughout her DNP program, physicians, administrators and nurse practitioners alike provided encouragement and helped her reach project goals.
“With healthcare continuously changing it is extremely important for nurses who possess critical knowledge, to continue their education in order to ensure the best outcomes for patients,” advises Nichole. “It makes me feel terrific when I can inspire others to continue their education with the support provided by Northwell.” And that includes her own family!
Nichole’s oldest daughter is currently following in her footsteps and is entering her second year of her nursing education. “At my graduation ceremony, my daughter made a statement,” shares Nichole. “She said ‘Mom, watching all of your hard work and determination both academically and clinically is what inspires me to work hard and strive for greatness.’”
We know Nichole is proud of her daughter … and we are equally proud of Nichole, a Truly Ambitious ACP! If you’re Made for working with a team of exceptional advanced clinical providers, explore our opportunities at Northwell Health.
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2019 President’s Award Finalists: Teamwork
Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Teamwork award recognizes a team who is flexible, hardworking and made for unwavering support. They successfully collaborate to improve quality, financial performance and/or patient-centric care by leveraging and embracing diversity while creating a feeling of belonging. Meet this year’s finalists.
Deliver the Vote
Lenox Hill Hospital
A pair of nurses with a strong commitment to upholding the right to vote, and an amazing determination not to take no for an answer enabled dozens of hospitalized patients to participate in the American electoral system.
Their efforts began two years ago when a patient inquired about voting but at that point, they were unable to help. Ahead of the 2018 election, Lisa Schavrien and Erin Smith decided to be pro-active, exploring ways to help their patients be heard at the ballot box. Their inquiries led them to a series of rejections by boards of elections, non-responses from political offices and a trip to a courtroom in Queens.
With the help from other volunteers, they canvassed their hospital for patients who wanted to vote. In one room, a patient facing brain surgery managed to cast her vote before surgery; in another, a patient’s partner was unable to get a ballot for the patient because they weren’t married, but Lisa obtained a ballot for him.
Voting may not seem like an issue clinical team members need to tackle, and they could find no other hospital making the same effort, but thanks to this team that went above and beyond, 75 Northwell patients were able to cast their ballots.
ECMO-TO-GO
Long Island Jewish Medical Center, North Shore University Hospital, Southside Hospital
Made up of a team of well-honed specialists, ECMO-TO-GO takes its life-saving skills wherever they are needed, elevating the level of care available to seriously ill patients. The team develops its successes with the cardiopulmonary bypass technique through continuity of communication and care delivered by all team members, commitment to continuous improvement and the depth of care provided by experts from across Northwell. The innovative approach of the team traveling to the patient rather than the other way around means a highly qualified, seasoned team is available to the sickest of patients. With a mortality rate of about 50 percent in these kinds of patients, the concept of such a team grew out of the establishment of an acute lung injury program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and the launch of a heart transplant program. Northwell physicians recognized the need to provide stable, quality care as quickly as possible, leading to the ECMOTO- GO program.
The strength of the group comes from their ability to harness their differences in expertise to meet the dire needs of a complicated patient population. They do so with seamless coordination, deep compassion, and deliberate communication ultimately forging something stronger than any individual person.
Food as Health Implementation Team
Long Island Jewish Valley Stream
Team members have put reliable access to food at the center of a pioneering effort to improve the health of their patients. After people in multiple departments recognized that some patients had trouble finding affordable, nutritious food when they returned home, a team came together to brainstorm some solutions. Their conclusions: provide discharged patients with the resources to find affordable foods and to prepare meals that would help restore them to health.
The Food as Health (FAH) Program screens patients from the outpatient wound care center, and one inpatient unit for food insecurity. Patients in need with nutrition-related conditions (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, unintentional weight loss) are referred to the appropriate FAH service arm for support. Patients who are mobile and able to cook for themselves are referred to the FAH hospital-based onsite resource center. The patient is provided two days’ worth of nutritious emergency food, nutrition education and counseling, and referrals to community resources.
The collaborative effort of the multidisciplinary workgroup to identify clinical partners, establish workflows, reports and outcomes is a significant reason for the successful implementation of the FAH program. The team continues to work together to identify the outcome measures and establish reporting to demonstrate improvement in patient outcomes and hospital data such as decreased readmissions.
Inpatient Charge Capture (IPCC)
Corporate, Revenue Cycle Operations, Medical Group
When a small group of data-savvy professionals began examining the question of whether Northwell was billing and collecting for every professional service provided in hospitals, it quickly became clear that they needed more expertise.
The question of revenue capture is a long-standing one and quantifying it and executing a process across the health system was huge challenge. The team grew to involve several Information Services disciplines and data experts and as it grew, so did the project. Instead of finding a basic report on where to find the revenue opportunities, the team produced much more. They came up with a real-time, web-based tool that allows service lines and/ or individuals to know what the missing billing opportunities are daily/weekly/monthly. It allows the user to filter by service line, hospital, provider and unit. The tool is easy to navigate and provides a weekly “subscription” service for providers.
The deep dive in the collaborative effort also identified a $10 million revenue opportunity for Northwell, the result of experts collaborating and using their own areas of expertise to produce a positive outcome.
Northwell Transfusion Medicine
Northwell Health Labs
A team of professionals collaborated to take on the challenge of ensuring Northwell hospitals maintained fresh and adequate supply of platelets to cope with both routine and emergency use. Maintaining a blood product supply is essential to optimal patient care, but daily usage can be difficult to forecast. Platelets, expensive to produce, test and store, have a short shelf life and frequently expire before they can be used.
This team’s bold solution to meeting the need and reducing costly waste was to develop a delivery system that moves blood products throughout the health system, with many ultimately winding up at the hospitals that routinely need them the most. Breaking away from the existing system, the team began with data, figuring out a system to outline a new distribution process. That birthed a “Round Robin” transportation system to reduce supplemental and emergency deliveries. The concept of rotating platelets from the community hospitals to the final destination of one of two tertiary hospitals is based on usage. Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital combined utilize as many as 50 units a day for Cardiac, Trauma, Surgical, Oncology and Transplant services. Through extensive monitoring and trending of patient platelet needs, a dramatic savings of more than $200,000 was realized in 2018 in expiration waste.
School-Based Vocational Services
South Oaks Hospital
A committed group of professionals provides students challenged by intellectual and developmental disabilities with services that are tailored to individuals from 27 school districts across Long Island. Students receive coachin g, job readiness training and social skills development in both a classroom and professional setting with more than 100 participating companies with the goal of promoting independence and developing skills to prepare these young adults to enter the workforce after graduation.
The collaboration of these team members led to 64% of the graduating students finding employment post-graduation. On a daily basis, this team manages to touch the lives of more than 200 youths and parents, on Long Island. Nearly all of the team members work remotely and are required to travel throughout their day to meet the needs of the various sites they are working to serve.
The team has been able to create new approaches to learning in school settings by implementing in-school businesses where students can improve work readiness skills. Through personal dedication and putting creativity to work, they are making big differences in the lives of these students.
The Fin
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Experts with a diverse set of skills devised and conducted the first pilot clinical trial of the Fin, a novel 3D-printed swim prosthesis designed for use in a recreational pool setting. The dedicated group was seeking ways to improve recreational opportunities for people with lower-limb amputations, who, according to studies, are less likely to participate in physical activity than the general population.
Often working on their own time, they established protocols to ensure a thorough test that respected each individual’s dignity and needs while examining all aspects of the prosthesis. The most common design for a swim prosthesis has a fixed angle foot (“ankle foot”) that is at 90 degrees with the floor, which, while it is easy to use in the water, is not useful when walking over ground or transitioning into and out of the water. The 3-D printing also significantly lowers the typical cost of the prosthesis.
All participants in the test found the prosthesis easy to put on and take off. The majority (71%) of participants reported being extremely satisfied with the prosthesis.
Every member of the multidisciplinary team brought to the project their passion for wanting to improve the quality of life, participation and inclusion for individuals with lower limb amputations.
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Building blocks of success in Healthcare Management Program Internship
This summer in the Healthcare Management Program (HMP), 34 summer associates will work with Northwell Health professionals across and service lines such as Emergency Medicine, Health Solutions, Imaging and Cancer. These ambitious college juniors will work closely with their mentors over the next 10 weeks and contribute to operations, finance and patient experience projects while developing the foundation for a long-term career in healthcare.
The students are from schools across the country including Cornell University, University of Alabama, Colgate University, Binghamton University, University of North Carolina, and Hofstra University among others. They develop an understanding of healthcare administration through hands-on projects such as capital planning, throughput initiatives, utilization & costs effectiveness analysis, redesigning of hospital units, new facility process mapping, annual report creation and much more. Each associate has their own unique experience based on where they work while participating in a cohesive program.
Over the past few years, the program has grown and this summer is no exception. The success of the program has led to the number of summer associate positions increasing from 23 to 34, and by listening to the feedback from previous associates and their mentors, the program has also expanded from 8 to 10 weeks..
And the unique program goes beyond just these 10 weeks. At the end of the summer, interns are encouraged to apply for the HMP’s sister program, the Management Associate Program (MAP). This highly competitive two-year program gives new graduates the opportunity to enter healthcare administration after graduation. This year, approximately 80 percent of our MAP positions were filled by associates from the 2018 HMP class.
Hear from some of our 2019 HMP associates on what they’re most excited about this summer:
Jenna Pasternak,
Orthopedic Service Line
“I’m excited for the broad set of skills and to experience the breadth of Northwell as a health system. I’m also looking forward to working with the other interns because we have such different backgrounds.”
Shivana Seegolam,
Emergency Medicine Service Line
“I’m interested to learn the values of Northwell and I’m excited to see how the projects I get put on are able to help the long term goals of the health system.”
Brittany Steineke, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Jessica Dobkin, Northwell Health at Home, Janice Kim, CTS/Cardiology, and
Aarshia Jain, Cohen Children’s Medical Center
“The HMP internship program is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students. We’re excited to live together, work together, and grow together.”
Matthew Ventre,
Northwell Health Solutions
“I’m looking to get hands-on experience in healthcare management. Being able to start networking while in college is important, especially in a health system that is continuously expanding.”
Abraham Polakunnil,
System Operations
“There’s so many people that work in a hospital, from the secretary to financial officer and I’m excited to get to know everyone. It’s the people that make the culture in healthcare from the first moment they interact with a patient and impact that experience.”
Yash Sehgal, Orthopedic Service Line, Megan Jean Louis, Brooklyn Region-Maimonides, Alicia Golyski, Southside Hospital and Katherine Hegermiller, Peconic Bay Medical Center
“We are most excited to work with the team to help improve operations within our locations. It’s a unique opportunity to lean how healthcare administration collaborate with clinicians within a hospital to create a positive change.”
Chasin Mizrahi, CTS/Cardiology
“Having previously been a long-term patient with Northwell, I’m so excited to see the other side of the care I received. I’m hoping to use my experience and history as a patient at Lenox Hill Hospital to enact change and even further improve the patient experience.”
Nicholas Vasquez,
Zucker Hillside Hospital
“I’m excited to find how engineering tools and applications can be integrated at Northwell within operations. I want to get a full range to experiences to all the ways I can apply my major within healthcare.”
Achyut Dasgupta,
Southside Hospital
“As a biology major, I was left wondering which direction I’d go after school. I still don’t know, but I’m excited to see how my skill set can help in the background of a hospital within administration.”
Jeremy Holden, LIJ Valley Stream Hospital
“This is an amazing opportunity to grow professionally while making a positive impact on the lives of those who need healthcare.”
Cameron Boswell,
MEETH
“I’ve previously worked in clinical healthcare and now being able to see the other side of it, and see how administration can directly impact the patients, will give me a well-rounded look on how to best improve healthcare operations.”
Lindsey Feuerzeig, Imaging Service Line and Sherri Gormon, LIJ Forest Hills Hospital
“We’re looking forward to learning how daily operations impact care, and seeing how what they do every day can make patient care more accessible and effective.”
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2019 President’s Award Finalist: Leader of the Year
Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Leader of the Year award recognizes an individual who is made for Northwell Health because Northwell was not made for just anyone. It’s their spark and instinct to care that changes lives. This leader always acts with intent, with heart and with passion. They communicate openly while providing empathy and support, gains and shares expertise with others, acts honestly, professionally, and consistently achieves high-level results. Meet this year’s finalists.
Mary Brennan, RN
Associate Director, Nursing Education, North Shore University Hospital
Mary Brennan’s dedication to improving the lives of patients inspires colleagues and many well beyond Northwell. She is a worldwide thought leader on wound and ostomy care, improving on the prevention and treatment of skin wounds, and teaching others how to help patients and their families avoid suffering.
Her work combating pressure wounds has led to the naming of a medical condition in her honor . Working with Nurse Manager Kathy Trombley, the pair identified the differences between pressure injuries and terminal tissue injury. This research has yielded a tool that assists nurses in identifying patients who are in the last hours of life, which allows team members to empathetically communicate with family members.
A Wound Care Symposium first proposed by Mary has turned into an interdisciplinary two-day conference at Hofstra University that attracts both physicians and nurses. Her leadership includes publishing papers on wound care, as well as building and overseeing a North Shore University Hospital team of more than 100 skin care champions. Her creative strategies have contributed to the success of this program, keeping others engaged and involved in identifying best practices to reduce incidents of pressure injuries. Thanks to her efforts, hundreds of team members at Northwell and thousands of others around the world know how to prevent and treat thiscomplex clinical problem.
Ryan J. Guda, RN
Nurse Manager, Dialysis Services, Ambulatory
Building on his array of experiences in different fields, Ryan Guda has rebuilt a workplace that adapts to change and established a culture of respect with dramatic effects on the quality of care.
Shortly after joining Northwell in 2015, Ryan met with each team member to hear their opinions about their work environment. By listening and acknowledging his team’s feelings, he was able to re-direct negative behavior in a nonjudgmental manner and win their trust. Even his adept computer skills helped during a transition to electronic record-keeping.
Ryan quickly became an agent of change that has improved the work environment and directly affected the quality of services delivered to patients living with end-stage renal failure. He was successful in turning the team members’ fear of change into hope.
Marcia Hall, RN
Director, Patient Services, Northwell Health At Home
Marcia Hall is known for her enthusiastic, even disposition and willingness to step up to assist team members. She has a talent for connecting with patients and staff alike. As a leader in a busy business unit, Marcia sees her role as the person who supports, teaches and always tries to lighten the load of those in the office and out in the field. By making herself available to patients and team members alike, she is able to allay concerns and offer encouragement to those who need it.
Marcia was an early adopter of “Leader Rounds,” an innovative approach more difficult to accomplish with patients in the community, and advises supervisors to take time each day to assess what they are seeing in patient care, to spot trends or potential problems.
As a leader determined to spread positivity, Marcia looks to motivate people to be their best, whatever the challenge. She stands by team members who might feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for patients in the field. Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations is a key part of the Health At Home program and requires attention to detail. Above all, she demonstrates a strong ability to connect with patients and their families, a calming force to those facing a difficult situation.
Robert Kerner Jr., JD, EdD, RN, EMT-P, CHSE
Assistant Vice President, Patient Safety Institute, Assistant Professor, Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies
Dr. Robert Kerner engages his team through reflective questions, allowing team members to self-direct on projects and listening to them in a style that makes everyone feel that they’re a valuable part of the team. He demonstrates concern for his colleagues, both personally and professionally, strengthening their connection to their profession and their colleagues. Dr. Kerner is committed to educational and clinical innovation and regularly puts forth new methods to meet the needs of our customers.
His ability to bring innovation in education from PSI to the units has been instrumental in allowing team members from Northwell to benefit from these efforts. Dr. Kerner has and continues to nurture relationships with both new and seasoned customers, as well as serve outside communities. Leaders from across Northwell reach out to Dr. Kerner to assist with projects that will enhance communication, situational awareness and competency skill sets in a variety of venues.
Paula McAvoy
Senior Administrative Director, Hospice and Palliative Care, University Hospice, Staten Island University Hospital
Compassion and a set of values that includes connectedness, awareness, respect and empathy guide the work of Paula McAvoy. She is 100 percent committed to caring for those facing the end of their lives. She ensures that her team members feel valued and engaged as they apply those beliefs to their patients and each other. Paula believes in an open-door policy to make sure open lines of communication are maintained.
Despite her heavy workload, she sets an example for colleagues with her commitment to professional development. She leads a session “Building High Performance Teams” as part of Northwell’s Leadership Essentials program.
In nearly 30 years at Staten Island University Hospital, she has excelled in any number of roles, where she began as an on-call hospice nurse, and has become a recognized expert in the field of end-of-life care.
Nina Ng, RN
Assistant Director, Nursing, Syosset Hospital
A deeply held concern for the suffering of refugees, victims of war and poverty has stirred Nina Ng to travel the world to deliver compassionate care to those in need. Nursing was the career she chose and for the first few years, she focused on learning all she could to develop her career. Then a trip to Haiti to care for orphans after a hurricane refocused her priorities and has nurtured a desire to take a leadership role in health care by helping the underserved, underprivileged, abused and forgotten people of war-torn and destroyed countries. After several trips abroad, including into a war zone, Nina has a desire to continue to expand her influence locally, regionally and globally, and continues to find new ways she can positively affect the lives of others.
Nina’s desire to lead isn’t limited to the world stage. She insists on accountability and recently published an article in the Journal for Emergency Nursing about workplace bullying.
Nina also has taken the initiative to reduce pressure wounds in patients with enhanced collaboration between the Emergency and Inpatient departments.
Northwell and Syosset Hospital benefit from Nina’s leadership and compassion, and her actions represent a total commitment to our values.
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2019 President’s Award Finalists: Nurse of the Year
Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Nurse of the Year award recognizes a nurse who is made for going the extra mile for his or her patients, families and colleagues. Exemplifying our Northwell values and behaviors, this individual delivers high-quality clinical care and a compassionate patient experience. Meet this year’s finalists.
Angela Daly, RN
Physician Partners, Cardiology at Southampton
Inspired by the extra efforts she saw nurses and others doing to take care of her mother, Angela Daly knew nursing was what she was meant to do. During the course of her career, she’s demonstrated efficiency and compassion, finding the small ways in which nurses can have a major impact on patients’ lives. Angela has solved problems, finding ways to improve how nurses were deployed throughout the Cardiac service line and how information was conveyed.
Taking a creative approach, Angela developed a telephone triage and patient education guide for her Flex Pool to demonstrate the best workflow in addressing patient calls, elevating patient concerns to providers and educating patients in a way that they can understand. Her guide is used throughout Northwell’s Cardiac service line. Angela also sends letters to every doctor that her patients see to ensure interdisciplinary communication is intact and that the patient’s treatment course with an investigational drug product is considered in the spectrum of their care. When she saw some information wasn’t making its way to all inpatient team members, she worked to develop chart notes that would be delivered to those who need them. And after realizing that more nurses were needed in the Cardiac service line, Angela worked to create a “Float Pool,” and recruited more than 90 nurses, trained them to cover the practices and developed guidelines so that the nurses would have the tools they needed to care more efficiently for our patients.
Alexa Damone, RN
Medical Surgical Unit, Glen Cove Hospital
Alexa Damone’s passion for her work is evident to her patients and colleagues by constantly learning new skills to improve medical care.
Alexa has the ability to relate to patients and their families through her caring manner and attentive demeanor. Her deep commitment is evident to her patients and her colleagues and was recognized by the hospital when she was honored in the hospital’s first “Breakfast with the Stars.” She is empathic, compassionate, an excellent communicator, possesses solid clinical and problem-solving skills and serves as an advocate for her patients.
Her commitment to helping peers is inspirational. Upon returning from a sepsis conference, Alexa shared her newly developed knowledge with her peers to improve the identification and prompt treatment of sepsis. She was a part of a project on infection control that led to better hand hygiene and infection control practices on the unit. Alexa is involved in another project aimed at improving the patient experience. With diabetes becoming increasingly prevalent, especially among the elderly, she attended a two-day workshop recognizing the importance of diabetes knowledge, management and education, enabling her to become a unit champion and valuable resource for her peers and patients.
Maryann Portoro, RN
Emergency Department, Phelps Hospital
Maryann Portoro sets a calm tone for patients and team members who, in the sometimes chaotic emergency care environment, need reassurance and compassion. She has devoted 45 years of her nursing career to caring for patients requiring emergency interventions. Maryann’s nursing role is characterized by her philosophy “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” She is noted for her quick assessment and innovative interventions to support excellence in patient care. She demonstrates her leadership skills by taking charge while not losing her compassionate approach in the Emergency Department, sometimes rocking babies, other times holding the hand of an upset or frightened patient.
Maryann’s care doesn’t stop with patients; she provides timeouts to ease a team member experiencing grief after a loss.
Her sensitivity to people’s needs is in real time with positive, thoughtful recognition. She uses her abilities to think quickly and creatively in any situation, de-escalating a crisis by knowing just what to do to calm and control a situation. Her dedication extends to finding and implementing ways to improve new nursing care delivery models.
Dominick Pugliese, RN
Northwell Health At Home
Dominick Pugliese represents the future of Northwell Health nursing care. As a young RN he has already impressed his supervisors with his ability to learn quickly and with his commitment to caring for those in need. Joining Northwell Health At Home just a little over a year ago, he made the switch from a hospital Respiratory Care Unit to Home Health because he wanted to work with patients as their primary nurse in their homes. He had been inspired by his involvement with Project Hope on Staten Island. He was among the part-time team member who went door-to-door to provide crisis counseling to families who were suffering from the fear, anxiety, anger and helplessness after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He rode on a medical bus, which was run by nurses.
At Northwell Health At Home, he mixes an interest and skill in using technology, such as the telehealth program, with devotion to hands-on care that depends on personal attention to a patient’s needs. Dominick’s potential led to his appointment to a task force that created Northwell Health At Home’s Heart Failure program, which was recently certified by the Joint Commission.
Jeffrey Rosa, RN
Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Long Island Jewish Medical Center
Passion for his patients and awareness of the complexities of navigating the emotions and needs of those in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit drive the care provided by Jeffrey Rosa. He witnessed the excellent care provided to his grandmother, and, later, as a paramedic, responded to the horrors of the Sept. 11 attack at the World Trade Center, which solidified his determination to become a nurse.
At Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC), Jeffrey is known as “the go-to player,” someone who has made it his business to know everything he needs to know about every patient in a unit where extra compassion, understanding and respect for what patients and families are going through are crucial. He is completely dedicated to inspiring and teaching new nurses to share his passion and expertise. He coaches, mentors and serves as a role model for his peers. Jeffrey lectures the hemodynamics portion of the nursing fellowship curriculum and shares his passion for work he does daily.
Jeffrey participates in countless committees, including the Magnet task force, and as co-chair of the Surgical ICU’s Collaborative Care Council, he facilitates the agenda and pushes LIJMC nursing units to share innovative solutions and champion new ideas and processes.
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Delivering critical care from the front lines to the Cardiothoracic ICU
For Jared Singer, a career in the military fueled his passion to help people in critical situations.
Jared, now a Cardiothoracic ICU registered nurse at Lenox Hill Hospital, served active duty in the United States Air Force for five years following high school. During his time in the military, he was exposed to various forms of emergency medicine training. His dream: to ultimately become a flight nurse and perform emergency medical evacuations out of helicopters.
With this goal in mind, Jared earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing after his service. But to become a flight nurse, Jared knew he’d need critical care experience from a hospital. After applying to numerous ICU units across the five boroughs with no response, Jared’s professor recommended Northwell’s Critical Care Nursing Fellowship.
Following his professor’s advice, Jared attended a military veteran career event so he could meet with recruiters. “No hospital would take a chance to invest in me besides Northwell Health,” says Jared. “The military veteran career event let me promote what I could bring as an individual to recruiters, directors, and I even personally met Northwell’s President and CEO Michael Dowling. I felt a part of the team as soon as I walked into that event.”
Meeting with Northwell team members gave Jared the opportunity to showcase the skills that his unique experience as a veteran brought to nursing. “Not even a week after that event, I was sitting down with the manager of the Cardiothoracic ICU in Lenox Hill Hospital–my dream job.”
Finding a new mission in the Critical Care Fellowship
From there, Jared’s career as an RN in the Critical Care Fellowship at Lenox Hill Hospital began. In Phase one of the program, he learned the systems, pharmacology and equipment specific to the ICU. With help from his educators, the simulation lab, and hands-on experience, Jared was given the foundation nurses need to be comfortable, as well as the critical thinking and theory necessary to thrive in such a high-speed environment.
Jared’s skills are continuing to grow as he works as a nurse on the floor during Phase two of the fellowship program. As part of his fellowship, he cares for critical patients and works hand-in-hand with nurses, PCAs, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, surgeons and others – and there is something to learn from everyone. “I was able to stand in during a seven-hour surgery and was blown away with the technology, professionalism, and skills every individual had in performing such intricate procedures. My eyes were wide open in absolute awe of what we’re able to accomplish as a team for each patient we interact with.”
And for Jared, the Critical Care Fellowship is only the beginning of his career at Northwell and the new adventures he seeks.
“I have climbed Mt Fuji; I’ve been interviewed on live TV Christmas morning; and I’ve even jumped out of a plane 14,000 feet above the Hawaiian shores, but nothing compares to the rush and feeling of the satisfaction I get when I make medical interventions that can be the difference in the outcomes of my patients.”
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2019 President’s Award Finalists: Physician of the Year
Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Physician of the Year award recognizes a physician who is made for going the extra mile for his or her patients, families and colleagues. Exemplifying our Northwell values and behaviors, this individual delivers high-quality clinical care and a compassionate patient experience. Meet this year’s finalists.
Santhosh Paulus, MD
Hospitalist, Director, Family Medicine Residency, Huntington Hospital
Dr. Santhosh Paulus turned a personal crusade against the abuses of human trafficking into an innovative program at Northwell. He began his Northwell career at the Glen Cove Family Medicine Residency program and is now site director for Huntington. In that role, he strives to meet three challenges: to teach the art and science of family medicine, to advocate for the best interest of his learners, and to be the quintessential role model of diligent attention to patient care, humanistic practice and lifelong learning.
In 2014, Dr. Paulus’ passion for caring for those in need grew. He saw a presentation on human trafficking and realized that his four daughters were of the same age as many victims in the presentation about forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation and sexual slavery in the US today. He joined a team and biked across the country to raise funds and awareness about human trafficking. Then he created “Cycling for Change,” an organization which has raised more than $55,000 to increase awareness about human trafficking and help survivors. Still, he wanted to do more. After talking with senior leadership at Huntington Hospital, he assembled a team to create the first Northwell Health Human Trafficking Response Program to identify and assist human trafficking victims and care for survivors. To date, the Task Force has trained more than 2,700 caregivers with 13 potential victims identified.
Yili Huang, DO
Medical Director, Pain Management Center, Phelps Hospital,
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Dr. Yili Huang has drawn on his empathy for the suffering of others to become a leader in treating pain on the individual and community level. In his pain management center, Dr. Huang meets with individual patients and finds creative ways to address their suffering. He delivers education to his team of physicians, nurses, and medical assistants, which has led to an improvement of pain scores at Phelps Hospital. He successfully performed an ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca nerve block recently to relieve intense pain in a patient with a hip fracture and a high tolerance for pain medications, controlling her suffering in preparation for surgery.
Dr. Huang’s commitment to his patients doesn’t stop there.
He is in the forefront of tackling a significant national problem: opioid addiction. He shares his knowledge with other physicians to reduce the use of opioid prescriptions by substituting other interventional modalities for long term relief, producing an immediate effect as many of these practices saw a dramatic decline in opioid prescriptions by their physicians. Dr. Huang also co-chairs the practice guidelines workgroup within the Northwell Opioid Task Force. He created practice guidelines, controlled substance agreements, and other tools to facilitate best practice opioid use. Those tools are being used across all the communities that Northwell serves to systematically confront the opioid epidemic and helps Northwell Health lead the nation in combating the epidemic in a compassionate and thoughtful way.
Carmen Rodriguez, MD, FACOG
Voluntary Physician, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center
An excellent bedside manner and the care she provides to her patients distinguishes the work of Dr. Carmen Rodriguez and moves many people to say, “She’s the best.” Regarded as reliable, dependable and talented, she is also humble and unpretentious. Dr. Rodriguez leads by example for all clinicians and team members. And her contributions go beyond kindness and compassion. She is known to take on some of the most difficult gynecological challenges via laparotomy, laparoscopic and robotic modalities. Dr. Rodriguez will always fight to defend the reproductive rights of her patients.
Dr. Rodriguez also plays an active role in the affairs and governance of the hospital. She is the associate chair of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center – Performance Improvement
Coordinating Group (LIJMC PICG). She is also a member of the OBGYN department PICG. Dr. Rodriguez finds the time to participate in performance improvement initiatives because she believes that everyone benefits when better care is rendered, mainly for the patient and the community at large, but also for the clinical and administrative team member. She is the president-elect of the LIJ Medical Team member Society, making her the first woman to hold this distinguished position in the history of LIJMC.
Andre Reyes, MD
Hospitalist, North Shore University Hospital
Dr. Andre Reyes has repeatedly impressed patients and team members with his deep commitment to providing personal and compassionate care and setting high standards for others. He has spent countless hours with his patients, making them feel comfortable and at ease regarding their care and the time they will spend in the hospital. Dr. Reyes is known for having dropped to a knee to console the weeping wife of a patient who had taken a turn for the worse, giving her time to compose herself. His commitment to patients contributes to the success of the Care Model Program, which engages all clinical partners in improving patient experiences in the unit. Beyond the emotional value of his compassion, statistics support his approach.
Under his leadership, ratings on clinical quality scorecards, and communication, have risen significantly. Dr. Reyes is also devoted to fostering our medical student education and Internal Medicine Residency program. He is involved in creating and standardizing expectations for residents with regards to their daily rounds and documentation, and sets a personal example by visiting his patients multiple times a day.
Dr. Reyes also took part in the hospital preparation for Magnet certification. He took the initiative to inform himself further on Magnet accreditation standards and met with Magnet evaluators.
Tara Liberman, DO
Associate Chief, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center
While she has worked in almost every area of health care – post acute, outpatient practice and inpatient care — Dr. Tara Liberman has driven change in geriatric services. She is a proven leader at Northwell, spearheading several initiatives across the heath system to ensure that high-quality, patient-centered care is standard operating procedure. Dr. Liberman’s commitment to patient care began with her Northwell internship year in 2001.
She completed her internal medicine residency and Geriatric Medicine fellowship at North Shore University Hospital. When Palliative Medicine was established as a medicine subspecialty in 2010, Dr. Liberman became board certified in Palliative Medicine as well. In 2010, she received the academic title of assistant professor.
Dr. Liberman has piloted two programs to improve the care and medical literacy of the rapidly growing geriatric population. In response to the “Silver Tsunami,” she began the Geriatric ED program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC), which caters to older adults who arrive in the ED by aiming to prevent unneeded hospital admissions. The ED at LIJMC now has a geriatric-specific social worker to help these patients and their families connect with Northwell resources in the community to ensure appropriate levels of care that are in line with the goals of the patients and families. Dr. Liberman has continued this work to provide specialized care to this vulnerable population in all Northwell EDs by working towards a Geriatric Emergency Department certificate accredited by the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Brian McGinley, MD
Voluntary Physician, Orthopedic Surgery, Mather Hospital
Dr. Brian McGinley takes his orthopedic skills beyond his practice, into an underserved community on Long Island and beyond.
He is part of the medical mission team for Blanca’s House, a local nonprofit organization that brings much-needed, quality medical care to countries and communities throughout Latin
America. During several missions to Ecuador, Dr. McGinley performed more than 75 knee replacement surgeries. In addition to his pro bono medical services, he raises funds for Blanca’s
House by assisting in generating thousands of dollars in philanthropic support to these trips.
On Long Island, he helps at an orthopedic clinic, treating patients who can’t afford care. In his free time, Dr. McGinley volunteers for the local Three Village community sports leagues and has served as a coach and team doctor. He serves president of the Port Jefferson Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC), a consortium of 19 area physicians and Mather Hospital, and was named PGA physician for the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2004.
In 2016, Dr. McGinley was the first surgeon worldwide to perform robotic-assisted total knee replacement with the NavioTM Surgical System, which allows for smaller incisions, less or no cutting of muscles, and no preoperative CT scan. His contributions are limited only by the number of hours in the day.
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North Shore University Hospital wins Northwell Health’s 2019 Chefs Challenge
Recently, five Northwell Health hospitals competed in the 2019 Chefs Challenge! Teams had 90 minutes to prepare a healthy and delicious meal with a salmon appetizer, filet mignon entree, and an apple dessert – meals that could potentially be served to patients in our hospitals. After presenting to our judges for tasting, North Shore University won first place in the competition. Rounding out the winners were LIJ Valley Stream Hospital in second and Southside Hospital in third.
You’ve already met the teams comprised of three chefs and a certified dietitian, now take a look at the meals!
First Place: North Shore University Hospital
Second Place: LIJ Valley Stream Hospital
Third Place: Huntington Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital
Southside Hospital
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Northwell’s commitment to employee wellness goes all the way to Rome, Italy
1,900+ teams made up of over 18,000 Northwell employees are competing in the Walk to Rome challenge for a chance at the grand prize – a FREE trip to Rome! The walk is one of the many fun ways that showcases Northwell’s commitment to employee wellness across the organization.
“Everyone’s path toward wellness is unique, made up of various reasons, objectives and outcomes,” says Valerie Gundersen, manager of Employee Wellness. “The annual challenge offers a special opportunity to unite all of our paths into one shared journey toward wellness.”
Here is how the Walk to Rome works: During this innovative employee step challenge, teams of 10 will walk the distance from Dublin (the destination of last year’s challenge) to Rome, totaling approximately 3.9 million steps in eight weeks. Participants track their physical activity to unlock virtual destinations throughout the journey. Teams of ten who successfully go the distance will be entered into the grand prize raffle for a trip to Rome, Italy.
Teams inspire each other to get moving by planning walks during lunch, encouraging each other to take the stairs, and hosting even more walking activities outside of work hours. With a new interactive chat feature and friendly virtual competition against rival teams, there are plenty of ways to stay motivated during the challenge.
Last year’s Walk to Dublin challenge totaled more than 7.4 billion steps by the end of the eight weeks. An amazing 1,200+ teams completed the challenge and were eligible for the grand prize raffle.
Employees reported that because of the Walk to Dublin challenge, they had more energy, lost weight, engaged in teamwork, felt healthier and remained highly motivated to continue taking care of their health after the challenge was over.
And the benefits go beyond physical wellness! “The Walk to Dublin challenge was a great chance for me to become a part of the community at Northwell,” says Jonathan Bateman, an ED associate, “I was a new employee when it started and getting to be on a team helped me build relationships with my co-workers faster than I might have otherwise.”
With even more teams competing this year, Northwell employees are excited to ‘step’ it up to win big—and maybe even celebrate with some well-earned pasta and gelato in Rome.
Are you up for the challenge? Apply today.
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Starting my next chapter after the military at Northwell Health
Written by: Matthew Scanapico
This Memorial Day, Matthew Scanapico, Project Manager of Ambulatory Operations in the Western Region, reflects on his time as a Sergeant (E-5) in the US Army and how he found a new way to serve through his job at Northwell Health.
My military experience provided me with the discipline and leadership skills that were instrumental in developing my career at Northwell Health. Striving to live my best life every day for the ones whose lives were lost too soon is what keeps me going. Although I struggle from time to time, I do my best to honor their memory.
After my military service, I was hired as a per diem employee at North Shore University Hospital. This gave me the flexibility to be a full time student at SUNY Farmingdale and made me feel part of a team again. In that role, both my leadership and my peers were aware of the hardships I faced overseas. They provided me with the support I needed to be successful in both school and my career and for that, I will always be grateful.
Witnessing the loss of friends, the stress of combat, and the hardships of war, instilled in me the belief that life is too short and fragile to let the “little things” get in the way. Transitioning from military service is never easy, but being hired by Northwell Health provided me with the stability needed to start this new chapter of my life.
For our nation’s veterans, having a stable work environment is integral to their healing process and with Northwell’s vast network of veterans, support is never out of reach. We do incredible things as an organization to hire transitioning veterans.
Northwell prides itself in being more than just a health system, it’s a family, and it’s being a part of something greater than ourselves to both its patients, communities and each other. This value is one of, if not the most, important foundation to a veteran’s life and gives an opportunity to be a part of that bigger picture again.
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An Appointment With: Juan Serrano, Director, Military and Veterans Liaison Services
As director of the Office of Military and Veterans Liaison Services, Juan Serrano leads Northwell’s mission to provide military veterans and reservists with the resources they need to make a successful transition to civilian life including partnering with Talent Acquisition for career opportunities. Northwell is proud to employ thousands of military veterans, and reservists.
A veteran himself, Juan served in the Marines for nine years before he was medically discharged in 2009. From there, he continued his education before joining Northwell as the administrator manager of the Queens World Trade Center Health Program in 2012. In 2015, he started in his current position to help lead and develop innovative programs to serve the veteran community.
We sat down with Juan to discuss his career and the services Northwell offers military veterans.
How has your experience in the military prepared you for a career in healthcare?
My experiences in the military provided me with the skills necessary to pursue and succeed in the civilian sector in a number of ways. Being in the military puts you in situations where you not only have to learn to follow, but learn to lead. It prepares you to work under pressure, to adapt and overcome, and to be innovative. In the military, there’s no task too big and no task too small. Everything is about attention to detail, responsibility, and taking pride in what you do. I think that veterans from all branches of the military possess important skills that are fundamental to the success of an organization across industries. If a veteran is presented with an opportunity, they will thrive.
What are some of the exciting things happening in the Office of Military and Veterans Liaison Services in 2019?
We have migrated all veteran services into one centralized location to make it easier for veterans and active duty personnel to gain access to healthcare and other resources such as housing, advocacy, community engagement, as well as a direct connection to our recruitment team for employment opportunities. Northwell Health is committed to providing veterans with resources and solutions that help make their lives better. We stand side by side through every stage of their reintegration process post-military career.
What should military veterans and reservists know about working at Northwell Health?
At Northwell, we offer more than just clinical careers – we provide a variety of opportunities where individuals can thrive such as finance, IT, security, culinary, and administration. Our goal is to change the way companies and communities view veterans and inspire other organizations to do more. Outside of the VA, we provide the most healthcare opportunities for veterans, including at the Rosen Family Wellness Center in Queens which is dedicated exclusively to caring for veterans, first responders, law enforcement personnel and their families. We also have a pay differential which has awarded $1.7 million total to employees to ensure they are continuing to receive their Northwell salary while out on military leave. My career advice to veterans is to never turn down a job opportunity and to always approach your career search with an open mind.
Can you tell us a little about the Side By Side: A Celebration of Service™ event?
Our history of standing side by side with our community has led us to the creation of this pinnacle event during NYC Fleet Week. Side By Side: A Celebration of Service™ is a two-part concert that honors Northwell Health’s commitment to veterans and their families, and celebrates their service and sacrifice throughout the years. It’s not just about the celebration itself, it’s about never forgetting.
Taking place on May 25th, 2019, the day event will be held at 31 Rockefeller Center. During the afternoon program, we will hear inspirational stories from veterans and see special performances from artists that include Gavin DeGraw and Boyz II Men, as well as the Broadway casts from Jersey Boys and Wicked. The second portion of our event is a concert at Radio City Music Hall with Imagine Dragons. The concert is completely sold out but Northwell has made tickets available for veterans through VetTix.org. Throughout both events, we will be joined by active duty personnel who are visiting for NYC Fleet Week.
What are some of the ways you stay connected with the Marines?
I will be preparing to run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. this October. It will be the first time I do it after my injury in 2004 and I’m excited to be running again.
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Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at Northwell Health
Written by: Bridges Asian BERG co-chairs
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions that generations of Asian Pacific Americans have made to American history, society and culture.
In honor of the heritage month this May, we are featuring the stories and work of a few of our Bridges Asian Business Employee Resource Group (BERG) members at Northwell Health.
Also featured, is an Asian Pacific American physician leader at Northwell Health, who is partnering with Bridges Asian BERG, to make broader connections and develop new ideas to help transform some of the amazing work spearheaded by this leader.
Please join us, as we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May!
Chandler Zhang, MHA Institutional Review Board Manager
Tell us more about your role at Northwell Health.
I’ve been working at Northwell for about 2.5 years as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) Manager within the Human Research Protection Program at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. My job is to support, facilitate and promote the ethical and safe conduct of clinical research at Northwell Health. We oversee IRB review for all 23 hospitals and facilities throughout Northwell Health that serves to protect research participants’ rights, safety and welfare.
Why did you join the Asian BERG?
I joined the Northwell Bridges Asian BERG in 2017. I have a passion to be a part of that bridge between our health system and local communities, and one of the ways that I serve in that capacity is being the Chair of the BERG Chinese Language Advisory Board (LAB). Our LAB is made up of other dedicated BERG members who are fluent, native speakers who provide consultation to service lines, departments and facilities on optimal methods of communication for the Chinese communities. We also provide feedback on the quality of translated materials by certified vendors to ensure that the messaging is appropriate and clear. By providing advisory services and partnering with Language Access Services from the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity we are working to enhance patient experience, customer service and better connect with our diverse communities.
What do you like about working for Northwell?
I feel so lucky to be recognized for my efforts and it encourages me to continue working harder and to be more innovative. I am proud to use my language capabilities and skillsets as a Chinese American to further the causes of our organization and the diverse communities that we serve.
What advice would you give about mentorship?
Mentorship is always important. However, within this organization of 68,000+ employees, mentorship from successful higher-level leaders is not only critical, but it will help individuals advance in their careers quickly. By encouraging mentorship, we are building our leaders of tomorrow.
Weon Hee Kang, Nurse Practitioner, Cardiology, NSUH
Tell us more about your role at Northwell Health.
In 1995 I started at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) as a registered nurse and in 2005 I became a nurse practitioner in Cardiology.
Why did you join the Asian BERG?
I wanted to actively support my community. Many Asian community members want to come to Northwell Health for its great reputation, but due to the cultural and language barriers it may be difficult for them to navigate our facilities. My contribution to close this cultural gap was to be a part of the committee that introduced the Korean seaweed soup (miyuk gook) for mothers who just gave birth at NSUH. In 2008 I started a free monthly health clinic for the Korean community and have continued my efforts to keep the clinic going since then.
Can you tell us more about the Korean health clinic?
Through my years at NSUH, I observed numerous Korean patients being admitted to the hospital due to the lack of healthcare either because they couldn’t afford it or because they didn’t know how to obtain it. Patients would have very serious conditions but did not have a primary doctor, medical or prescription insurance to recuperate and maintain their health. Various professionals such as physicians, nurses, social workers, physical therapists and acupuncturists, volunteered to provide preventive medical services monthly and our team was formed. Since the start of this program, 2,000 patients have been cared for with various conditions, some critical such as abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, breast cancer, unstable angina, laryngeal cancer, hypertensive emergencies and others. The social workers assisted patients in signing up for Medicare/Medicaid and our team helped coordinate care for further medical treatment and follow up.
What is your advice for others?
We need to care for our families and neighbors. No one can live alone. We need to volunteer our time, support each other’s ideas and use our professional skillsets to help the community become healthier. Many Asian Americans want to help their families and community and can do so in this way. Furthermore, many employees may not know about the BERG, which helps us internally network and externally bridge with communities.
Santhosh Paulus, MD
Santhosh Paulus, MD, site director of Huntington Hospital’s family medicine residency program, is also Northwell Health Human Trafficking Response Program System Taskforce Leader. In 2014, he founded Cycling For Change, a not-for-profit organization, with a mission to cycle, raise awareness and fundraise to support organizations on the front lines of battling human trafficking.
What began as a personal action to raise awareness about human trafficking, “it is a public health issue where individuals are abducted or deceived into servitude and exploited for profit, it is a modern-day form of slavery and the social justice issue of our generation”, said Dr. Paulus.
Dr. Paulus has been appointed as Northwell Health’s Human Trafficking taskforce leader, where he spearheads a human trafficking response program at Huntington Hospital, which currently includes more than a dozen staff members who have been trained by Restore NYC, an anti-trafficking organization, to identify victims and assist human trafficking victims and provide care to survivors. Dr. Paulus is working collaboratively with the Bridges Asian BERG on furthering the mission of the taskforce.
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We’re elevating the culinary experience
Five Northwell Health hospitals are competing for a chance to be named the winner of the 2019 Chefs Challenge on May 23rd. Tasked with cooking a healthy and nutritious meal, each team will have 90 minutes to prepare a one-of-a-kind meal with a salmon appetizer, filet mignon entree, and an apple dessert. Each team will have three chefs and one certified dietitian who will work together to prepare a meal for guest judges. Meet the teams competing at the Chefs Challenge!
Leah Pasquarella
Chief Clinical Dietitian, 15 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Avocados and baby spinach
Gina Lantigua
Cook, 3 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Good olive oil, cauliflower, quinoa, carrots, garlic and cilantro
Miles Farrell
2nd Cook, 1 year at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Broccoli and Quinoa
The LIJ Valley Stream team is most excited about showcasing their talents. Executive Chef Patty Sobel says, “I really want to showcase how improved my team at Orzac Rehab and LIJ Valley Stream Hospital has become. I have worked with this team for 18 months and they are rising with culinary skills like the mighty phoenix!”
Patty Sobol
Executive Chef, 5 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: fresh ginger, fennel, oranges, earthy spices like turmeric and cumin, fresh basil, lemon verbena
Jane Prokopowicz
Chief Clinical Dietitian, 18 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Fresh vegetables, fruit, and fresh herbs
Yvon Julien
Cook, 20 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Salmon with yellow and julienned red peppers, fresh herbs, chervil parsley, chives, tarragon and fresh garlic
Kervins Pierre-Pierre
Cook, 4 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Grains- quinoa & farro and fresh grouper with kale swiss chard or spinach
The North Shore University Hospital team is most excited about getting to showcase the culinary abilities they learned in previous culinary experiences and apply them to a healthcare setting.
Laura Zelenka Dufresne
Registered Dietitian, 28 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Asparagus
Nicholas Rappa
Chef de Partie, 14 months at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Brussel sprouts
Gyalsten Ethenpa
Sous Chef, 20 months at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Turmeric
The Lenox Hill Hospital team is excited to collaborate and create dishes that are appetizing, appealing, and healthy enough to fit the Northwell Healthy Choice criteria! These are challenges we come across every day so we continuously educate and put into practice strategies for adjusting diets to be nutritious and enjoyable. This competition gives us an opportunity to think outside of the box and prepare meals that will leave patients feeling healthy and satisfied.
Claudio Natalio Bistro
Cook, 2.5 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Red quinoa and tofu.
Laura O’Connor
Registered Dietitian, 1.5 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Fruit, herbs, and potatoes.
Sean Broderick
Chef, 7 years at Northwell
Favorite healthy ingredients to cook with: Fish, Fresh Vegetables
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