Archive for year: 2018
Northwell Health’s top career resolutions for 2019
The new year is a perfect time to assess your professional growth over the past year and set goals for the next! Set yourself up for a productive, exciting, and successful new year by focusing on your career. At Northwell, we’re always looking to empower our employees with the tools they need to improve their skills and accomplish any resolution they make.
Stick to these resolutions and your career will flourish in 2019!
Further your education
It’s never too late to learn something new, and furthering your education helps strengthen your mind for future challenges. Choosing to go back to school is a rewarding way to stay competitive in your industry by expanding your knowledge. At Northwell Health, we invest in our employees’ education through a multitude of educational programs. Our tuition reimbursement program* reimburses eligible employees per calendar year toward qualified tuition expenses for an associate’s, bachelor’s or graduate-level degree. We also offer an MBA program through Hofstra University, where eligible employees receive 100% employer-paid tuition expenses toward a degree!
Find a mentor
Have you been meaning to enter a mentoring relationship to help grow and guide your professional development? Connect with a mentor in the new year! Mentors can help enhance and hone your skills, bring a seasoned perspective, and help your career in the long-run. Pick a mentor outside of your immediate department so that you can gain new insight into the company and feel comfortable discussing any problems that might arise within your office as you pursue a solution.
Read a book
Reading is fundamental! Take a break from your usual fiction list and jump into new ideas that will illuminate the world around you and your place within it. If you’re looking for inspiration, explore Health Care Reboot: Megatrends Energizing American Medicine, a new book by Northwell’s CEO Michael Dowling and Charles Kenney.
Volunteer
Volunteering looks great on your resume and it feels good to boot! Find opportunities to give back around your community to help better yourself in the new year. At Northwell, we foster this passion for caring for your community with our Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs). The BERGs program at connects our employees to others who share their passions and identity to reach out and build relationships with the communities we serve. Our BERGs have volunteered within our community educating, understanding and supporting members of various ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, the LGBTQ community, the disability community, and veterans.
Add a bullet to your skills section
Developing a new skill can help you grow in your professional and your personal life. By making professional development a priority, you’ll build new connections and position yourself for advancement.
Expand your network
Join a professional network or society and connect with a community of professionals who do what you do and love it, too!
*Union employees will receive benefits based on their CBA.
Is a new career on your list of resolutions? Look at our open positions.
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Portraits of Caring at Northern Westchester Hospital
Welcome to 2019. We’re living in the age of medical marvels and miracles. We’re using robotic tools, GPS technology, and machines that defy gravity to help keep our community healthy. As a Planetree designated hospital, Northern Westchester Hospital is also proud of raising the bar for patient-centered care. Meet five extraordinary staff members who surpass all expectations to bring comfort and relief to our patients and their families.
Dorothy Cafran: Handcrafted with Love
Years ago, when a patient with advanced cancer told Nurse Dorothy Cafran how much she loved autumn, Dorothy got an idea. “I’m a quilter and I have a lot of fabric at home,” she says. So I whipped up a pillowcase for her using fabric with fall leaves on it. It brought her great joy.” It was the first of many pillowcases Dorothy has handcrafted for patients and their families.
As a palliative care nurse, Dorothy sits down with patients and gets to know the people behind the diagnoses—their interests, likes, dislikes, fears. Hearing about their lives often prompts her to create personalized pillowcases for patients and their family members. “Pillowcases are universal,” she says. “It doesn’t matter how old or young, big or small you are—everyone sleeps on a pillow.”
Recently Dorothy met a woman with cardiac disease whose condition was very tenuous. “She was extra-sad, very sick,” she says. “She told me what she feared most was not seeing her granddaughters grow up. Her granddaughters loved to dance.” The next day Dorothy surprised the patient with homemade pillowcases featuring ballerina slippers. “I told her, ‘These are for you to give your granddaughters. You’ll always be with them, and every time they sleep on these pillows, it’s like you’re giving them a hug.’ The woman burst into tears of joy.”
While her thoughtful gestures never fail to raise the spirits of patients and family members, Dorothy insists, “Trust me, I receive far more than I give.”
Tammi Gonzalez: Tea-Cart Tammi
Many patients have trouble sleeping at night in the hospital. So Tammi Gonzalez, also known as Tea-Cart Tammi, a patient care associate on the seventh-floor cardiopulmonary unit, provides nightly “tuck-in rounds” to make patients feel comfortable and relaxed before bed.
“I go around with a little tea cart, and I offer decaf tea and coffee, hot chocolate, graham crackers, and sugar-free cookies.” Other tuck-in options include warm blankets, eye masks, earplugs, hand massages, scented sachets and recordings of soothing sounds. “If we don’t have something they want before bed, I try my hardest to get it because if I were a patient, it would make me feel like somebody really cares. I love the idea of knowing that someone’s there to wish me goodnight.” How have patients reacted? “Some have told me, ‘Wow, this is better than a hotel! I don’t want to leave!’ ” Tammi says with a laugh.
“The best part is the conversation that’s happening,” she says. Sometimes I’ll sit there and talk to patients for hours. “Often they’re alone and don’t have anybody to talk to. So this gives them the opportunity to have that little chat they might need. I ask them about their family, what they did for a living, where they grew up—it reduces the anxiety that can come with a hospital setting.”
Susan Raskin: Relaxation Is Key
Integrative medicine uses therapies that complement conventional care to reduce pain and to comfort patients. “It helps medications work more effectively because it relaxes the person,” says Susan Raskin, a nurse who practices integrative medicine at NWH. “It speeds up the healing process. That is our goal: to manage pain, stress, and anxiety.”
At no charge to patients, Susan offers reflexology, gentle touch massage, reiki, guided imagery, and music therapy. She also treats patients’ family members. “It’s not uncommon for a patient to say, ‘I’m okay but could you work on my wife?’ And we’re happy to do it. Many family members are here 24/7, and they’re getting rundown. The patient relaxes, seeing their loved one getting cared for.”
“I’m the luckiest nurse in the profession that this is what I get to do all day,” Susan says. “I am always in awe. I see patients and families dealing with tremendous stressors, real fears, and concerns. Their courage and grace under pressure never cease to amaze me.”
Angela Watts: “A Home-like Feeling”
Angela Watts, an ICU nurse, created “comfort boxes” to help support patients and families struggling with the last stages of life. The comfort box is a small gift box containing items a family might need at the patient’s bedside, such as hand cream, lip balm, mints, tissues, tea bags, a booklet about the dying process, a small token with a powerful message, and a silk pouch that can be used to keep a lock of their loved one’s hair.
But Angela’s program goes a step further. “We want to create an environment that gives a home-like feeling,” she says. So the patient and family also receive a handmade quilt, a colorful pillow, and a journal to record their thoughts. “The comfort box is not just a tangible item—it’s a mindset,” she continues. “We want that last interaction to be special and home-like.” Once the patient passes, the family is encouraged to take the items home as a remembrance of that last time. “They love it and are very appreciative.”
“I’ve been a critical care nurse for 23 years, and I’m blessed to care for end-of-life-patients,” she says. “Death can be beautiful, and I feel very honored to be there at such a special time. As nurses, we’re fortunate we can share that time and encourage patients and family to look at each other, hold hands, forgive, and say what they need to say.” Nurses can tailor the environment so it’s warmer and more personal. “This program is very close to my heart,” says Angela. “I feel so fortunate that the hospital supports it.”
Giovanna Albanese: Healing Heart Stones
Giovanna Albanese, activity coordinator at the Ambulatory Surgical Center, has always kept two colorful, heart-shaped stones on her desk. During difficult times in her life, she explains, “they’ve provided me comfort in some way.” One day, a woman came in for brain surgery. “She was beautiful, in a wheelchair, in her 20s, very scared, crying,” says Giovanna. “I asked her parents, ‘Do you mind if I give her something special?’ And I handed her one of my stones. The young woman instantly brightened up, and the parents had tears in their eyes.”
At that moment Giovanna realized that her stones could be as special and meaningful to others as they are to her. She started buying more to give away to those who “needed a little something extra during a difficult time,” she says. “I’ve given heart stones to a mother who’d lost her baby, a distraught breast cancer patient, and a trembling 10-year-old boy getting an MRI. She keeps the stones in a velvet pouch, and tells patients, “I call these my healing heart stones. Pick one—don’t look. You’re going to be okay.” Giovanna has been overwhelmed by the response: “A cancer patient who came back for a second surgery told me she put the stone on her nightstand. Another keeps it in her wallet at all times.”
Giovanna has handed out nearly 100 stones over two years. She was recently awarded a $1,600 grant to begin regularly buying them for patients. “I’m so blessed to be in this position,” she says. “Knowing I may touch someone’s life in some small way means the world to me.”
Are you Made for extraordinary patient care? Explore all career opportunities at Northern Westchester Hospital today.
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Meet our Truly Innovative Physician Assistant Melissa Moscola!
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 that exemplifies a central Northwell Health value. This month, we’re proud to introduce you to Melissa Moscola, PA-C, MA., who is a “Truly Innovative” member of our team. Here’s why:
Melissa is a Truly Innovative PA at Northwell Health. As a practicing PA in various capacities, Melissa was working for a private practice providing critical care coverage. But she felt she could do more for patients and families. When the Follow Your Heart program, a support service for patients and families, was revamped and developed in partnership with CT surgery and Health Solutions, she jumped at the chance to become part of this innovative medical endeavor. As the program approaches its second anniversary, let’s learn how Melissa found the position she’s Made for.
Melissa has spent most of her career working in critical care areas. This experience showed her the importance of support services, “when these patients survive and recover enough to be discharged from the hospital, their needs don’t disappear, they change.” That change means families and patients will need more support than ever. The Follow Your Heart program bridges the gap between the hospital and the patient’s home and helps ease the transition by providing increased access to care, medication optimization, and home visits.
In her position, Melissa is “able to develop relationships with both patients and providers based on trust, which becomes particularly important when dealing with the most vulnerable patients.” And she can build those relationships without sacrificing growing her own. Melissa enjoys the flexibility she’s found in her profession, a flexibility that has enabled her to get her master’s degree, get married and have children.
Throughout her career, Melissa has embraced innovation. The technology available today allows her team to perform virtual visits to patients at acute rehab at Glen Cove. Melissa notes, “the field of medicine is always changing and I am so happy to be an integral part of the change.”
The Follow Your Heart Program was a finalist for this year’s President’s Award where the program and team were recognized for their Truly Innovative work. Melissa recognizes how teamwork got her here, “we are a truly cohesive team that works well together for the good of the patients.”
Are you Made for working with exceptional Advanced Clinical Providers like Melissa?
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Northwell Health team members race to the finish line at the NYC Marathon
This year, more than 50,000 runners gathered to compete in the world’s largest marathon and Northwell team members were no exception! At Northwell, one of our values is being truly ambitious and taking on the challenge of running the 26.2 mile New York City Marathon is one our employees are up for conquering. We caught up with some of our Northwell employees on what it felt like to finish the race last month.
Among our dedicated racers, members of the official Team Northwell Health raised over $30,000 for Northwell initiatives. These passionate team members included Joseph Moscola, Kevin Bock, Pat Farrell, Matthew Moore, Rakijah Galloway-Haskins, Sven Gierlinger, Kevin Beiner and Anghielinne Schwarting.
Hear from members of Team Northwell Health along with other Northwell employees who have raced to the finish line both this year and years prior!
Janine Sullivan
Sr. Secretary 2, Nursing Education and Professional Development,
Cohen Children’s Medical Center
“The TCS NYC Marathon was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! I still cannot believe that I ran 26.2 miles! It is truly NYC’s biggest party! All the people, all the music throughout all the boroughs who come out to cheer us on, as well as my family being in Queens and Manhattan, was amazing! I couldn’t stop smiling the entire run! It was such a beautiful day!”
Jennifer K. Svahn, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine
Director, Vein Surgery at Union Square
Northwell Health Physician Partners
“Long distance running, and particularly marathon running, is an opportunity for my husband, Dr. Jeff Nicastro (VP, Clinical Services Surgery Service Line; Vice Chairman Surgery NS/LIJ; System Chief, Acute Care Surgery Northwell; Executive Director Northwell Health Trauma Institute), and I to share something we are both passionate about. It provides us with “together time” outside of the challenges of life as surgeons and the parents of two busy teenage boys. As physicians, optimizing and impacting the health of our patients in a way that allows them to enjoy their best lives is our entire focus. It’s important that we are just as committed to prioritizing our own health and fitness so that we can set an example not only for our patients , but for our colleagues as well. By ensuring our own good health and the mental calm that running provides, we are able to serve our patients better. The rigor, sacrifice and even occasional suffering that are all part of marathon training and running only serve to make the experience of crossing the finish line all the more exhilarating. Running and representing Northwell Health are a perfect partnership – setting lofty goals, taking the steps required to reach those goals, prioritizing health thru action (and not just thru words) are all ways that we can best embody and put into action the Northwell #madeforthis motto.”
Rakijah Galloway-Haskins
Manager, Lab Quality Management
Pathology Administration
North Shore University Hospital
“Completing the run was surreal; I was exhausted, excited, but yet, empowered! All the pain, sweat and tears were gone and just like that, it was over and I did it! The many mantras for the NYC Marathon were : It will Inspire you, It will Empower you, It will Move you, It will Reward you…. I could not help but see Northwell’s intonations embedded in there as well; truly compassionate, truly ourselves, truly ambitions…and of course MADE FOR THIS!!! In the past I have felt conflicted on whether or not I am made for this. Now I know and truly believing that I am. I’ve had several employees come to me congratulating me on completing that 26.2 mile run and state that I have inspired them as well. In fact many want to join the next go around and that is what it is all about! Next year I want to do it again, and bring as many as possible along with me on the journey!”
Joseph Aigbojie
Administration Manager
Pediatrics Cardiology
Cohen Children’s Medical Center
“I’ve run the NYC marathon 2 times (once in 2016 and once in 2017). Ironically enough, the first time I ran it, it wasn’t for Northwell. It was for the YMCA. However, it was my work family at Northwell (specifically Cohen Children’s Medical center) that rallied around me, accounted for more than half of the fundraising donations I received and not to mention how site HR worked with Materials Management to don me in Northwell/Cohen’s swag, specifically a running T-shirt that read “26.2 mile dare. Challenge accepted, Cohen’s cares”. The race itself was amazing. There’s nothing like being on the Upper East Side and hearing a bunch of screaming New Yorkers yell “Go head Northwell. Go head Cohen’s Children. Keep going You can do it.” It’s just the push one needs when they’re exhausted from running the 59th street bridge and bracing themselves to take on The Bronx and central park. The second time I ran the marathon, I was officially on the Northwell Health team. I got to fund raise directly for the organization and it was a great experience. I’d love to do it again.”
And while the race is a time for Northwell team members to shine for their own accomplishments, they’re passion for care remains an ever present value in their lives. This was proven when this year an Northwell physician paused his own race to help provide care for another runner. Dr. Theodore Strange, vice chair of primary care of Northwell Health and the vice president of medical operations of Staten Island University Hospital,wasn’t thinking about his own finish time when he heard a woman cry for help, he was only thinking about how he could help. Dr. Strange stopped mid-race to perform CPR on the unconscious runner and worked together with emergency responders to deliver care. After assuring the woman was being safely treated and transported to a hospital, Dr. Strange continued running and went on to finish the marathon.
Congratulations to all the Northwell Health employees who have participated in the marathon!
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This is Healthcare: Life and Creative Arts Therapies
In this edition of our This is Healthcare video series, we got an inside look at what it’s like to work in the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapies department at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Follow Erin O’Brien, Child Life Specialist II, and Shawna Vernisie, Creative Arts Therapist/Music Therapist, and discover some of the amazing things the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapies team are doing. Check it out!
Are you Made for this? Explore all career opportunities at Cohen Children’s Medical Center today.
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Veteran Rose Powers’ Revenue Cycle Career of Duty at Northwell Health
For the fifth year in a row, Northwell Health has earned a Military Friendly® Employer designation! We’re celebrating by speaking to veterans like Rose Powers, RN to get their perspectives on working with us and the opportunities for veterans and reservists at Northwell Health.
To Rose, her job is her duty. It’s been that way since she left active duty as an Army Specialist. In the following days and years, Rose noticed an evolving concept of duty, an Army core value, and it was leading her to a strong need to do more to help people. So, Rose left her marketing career to go to nursing school and become an emergency room nurse. But her sense of duty was still calling. She wanted to look at the bigger picture. That’s when she took a role as a consultant, assisting hospitals who were in dire straits financially. Rose remembers, “I thought, sure, I could help people in the ER but I could also help communities by working to get healthcare organizations financially stable enough so they could focus on providing quality care with all of the necessary tools.”
That’s how Rose came to the Revenue Cycle Team. She’s now the director of Revenue Cycle Management, a position that impacts both the patient population and employees of Northwell Health. The revenue cycle starts when patients first schedule an appointment or walk into a facility. For staff, a highly functioning revenue cycle protects the financial health of the organization so we can all continue to grow, both geographically and clinically. Rose says, “revenue cycle allows for us to staff the hospitals appropriately, upgrade equipment, implement new technologies, and continue our mission to bring state-of-the-art treatment options to the people within our community and beyond.”
Now, Rose’s sense of duty is expanding beyond our system. Northwell Health is partnering with other hospitals in our community to provide them with best in class revenue cycle practices so they can continue to strive for financial success. And Rose will be leading the charge. “My role here is to work with our alliance partners in all boroughs in the NYC metro area, providing them with advice and assistance to optimize areas of their revenue cycle. This not only provides Northwell with additional revenue but also contributes to the organizations and level of care provided to people within our community.”
Rose is excited for the future of her Truly Innovative department. One of her favorite trends in Revenue Cycle is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms to increase efficiencies. She explains, “the use of AI often worries people within an organization, with the thought that it will replace staff, but it couldn’t be more the opposite. Instead, the AI functionality will allow our staff to focus on the tasks that require a human element, moving away from menial tasks and shifting to assignments that will continue to help the organization focus on the ever-changing healthcare revenue cycle environment.”
Rose’s team shares her sense of duty and her drive at work. She’s grateful that “after working with more than a dozen hospitals in my career, the people within the ranks of the Revenue Cycle here at Northwell Health are by far the most intelligent, driven, and innovative that I have encountered. Working for and with such a great group of people in an area that truly impacts the entire organization makes me feel as though I am making a difference in our community.”
Here, Rose feels the support she needs to follow her calling. “Northwell provides its employees with the ability to fulfill our sense of duty through the endless opportunities and services, everything from clinical research, marketing, food services, and finance. I believe this truly is an organization that will foster its employees’ need to evolve, both professionally and personally.” Rose feels this especially applies to veterans. “Northwell’s commitment to veterans is nothing short of exceptional. Everything from job fairs, webinars, workshops, and an active community fosters an environment that not only welcomes veterans but provides a platform to thrive in the civilian world.”
Explore all Revenue Cycle opportunities today.
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Northwell Health honors Universal Human Rights Month by reflecting on diversity and inclusion
December is Universal Human Rights Month and this year is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To honor this important anniversary, we’re spending the month reflecting on diversity and inclusion within Northwell Health.
At Northwell Health, we are unyielding in our commitment to welcoming, respecting, and leveraging the talent of individuals who apply their diverse perspectives and experiences in helping us understand and best meet the needs of the broad range of communities we serve. In the words of Deputy Chief HR Officer Maxine Carrington, “fully realized, the insights and contributions of a diverse workforce will enable us to fulfill our mission and values, grow and evolve, and assure our reputation as a best place to work and receive care – for all.”
We know that, as a healthcare provider, our diversity is the backbone of our ability to better serve the equally diverse communities that we touch. “I’ve always believed that the power of the health system doesn’t lie in Northwell Health being the largest healthcare provider or private employer in our state but from a much deeper place,” says Regional Director, Community Relations Matthew DePace. At Northwell Health, we draw our strength from the deep diversity of our workforce throughout our levels of operation. This variety of perspectives and points of view allow us to solve the problems of our employees, our patients’ and their communities.
Learn more about our diversity efforts here.
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Don’t miss these top questions to ask hiring managers in your next interview
We all know that moment an interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” It can be a tricky one! Asking the right questions can be tough, but it’s a necessary part of ensuring you learn about your prospective role and employer. The right question can earn you insight into the company culture, career growth opportunities, and position expectations.
And since our employees are our greatest hiring success stories, we asked them to share some of their best advice on what to ask hiring managers. With their help, we gathered the top questions you should ask in your next interview below!
1. What keeps you passionate about going to work every day?
Gerard Halfpenny, a registered nurse at Northwell suggests a question like this to help give you an idea about corporate culture, along with a sense of how long the interviewer has worked there and their passion for their work.
2. How is Northwell different from other places you’ve worked?
This question allows you to hear from hiring managers on their previous work experience and learn how they adapted to a new workplace. And more importantly, it also helps you find out what sets Northwell apart from the competition!
3. Could you tell me about an employee that you feel is a role model?
Evan Feuer, a program manager at Northwell, recommends the above question and expands on this thought by encouraging candidates to ask about what the hiring manager sees as going above and beyond in a job and what qualities successful employees have that leads to their success.
4. What are your team’s goals?
Asking this question allows you to see what a team’s upcoming goals and initiatives are to align your talents. Learning a team’s goals also helps you see how you can help accomplish their mission in your new role.
5. What motivates your employees to stay with your department?
This question from Denise Walker, a supervisor at Northwell, shines a light on an important aspect of culture. Hearing why employees choose to stay in the department allows you to discover what makes your department truly special.
6. Where is Northwell headed in the next five to ten years?
You know where you want to be in the next five to ten years. It should be more about your career goals and ambitions aligning with the company’s. This question delivers insight to where the overall organization is going and where your goals align.
7. What are three adjectives you would use to describe the workplace atmosphere on a given day?
Kathleen Jaeger Phillips, an RN at Northwell, suggests this question to give hiring managers a question with a structure for their answers that can yield telling, helpful, and fun results. Additionally, it gives you an insight on what an average day in your future workplace might be like!
9. What are some ways I can help improve this department in my new role?
Tanya Fontes, MBA and admin manager at Northwell knows that not every day at work is going to be easy, breezy. This question allows you to see how you can impact positive change for the specific department and gives insight into how the department overcomes every-day challenges.
10. How do you measure success for your team?
Asking a question like this gives you an idea of a team’s goals and how you can best achieve them as a member of the department. Knowing how your team is looking to meet their goals helps ensure you best know how to set yourself up for success.
11. As a candidate, how can I incorporate my previous experiences to promote creativity, growth, and teamwork in the position I am interviewing for?
The specificity of this question from Julia Suklevski, MSW social worker at Northwell, is fantastic! To answer it, hiring managers must assess your experiences and imagine how you will succeed. It’s exactly what you want: hiring managers imagining you in the role!
12. If there was one thing you wish the person who filled this role knew, what is it?
This question can help you clarify what the most important thing you’ll need to know in this position. Now, you can emphasize how your experience and personality are a perfect fit.
13. Are there are any mentorship opportunities available within the department?
Shawna Vernisie, creative arts therapist, loves this question because she knows that “it’s great to have someone that’s experienced in your potential department to mentor a new employee!” Making sure there are opportunities to learn in your new role helps ensure you’ll continue to grow your own skills.
14. Are there growth opportunities to continue my career within the organization?
This question will help you figure out how you can continue to progress your career. Finding out what educational opportunities are available to you will help you see where your career can continue to develop. It’s also a good way to discover how your skills can be refined in your new position.
Think you’re ready to impress one of our hiring managers? Explore our jobs page and find a position that you’re Made for.
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Meet Andrew Gomez! A Northwell Health employee who adds to our Culture of C.A.R.E.
Patient experiences are defined by each moment they spend at Northwell Health. Moments they share with family, friends, doctors, nurses, and staff. Some of our employees make a lasting memory from the first impression – employees like Andrew Gomez, a security officer at Southside Hospital.
Andrew came to Northwell Health over 15 years ago looking to find a fulfilling career. Every day, he protects and serves visitors and workers with great honor and pride at his local hospital. Andrew loves the people and patients he gets to interact with. He finds that “lending a helping hand to someone in need whether it’s a patient, visitor, or worker is extremely rewarding.”
The entire team at Southside Hospital appreciates Andrew as an exemplary member of the Northwell Health family. With his amazing personality and willingness to go the extra mile, he truly lives the Culture of C.A.R.E. in his work. Andrew puts Northwell’s values at the forefront of everything he does, “Northwell Health’s Culture of C.A.R.E. is extremely important to implement when interacting with patients and coworkers. It teaches different methods and tactics to improve your everyday skills and abilities inside a hospital setting.”
Andrew saw this culture on full display after Hurricane Sandy hit Long Island. It was an extremely hard time for Long Islanders but the men and women of Southside Hospital stayed extremely strong and focused as a whole for the community it serves. Andrew was there to witness it, “It was an amazing sight, seeing everyone work together for hours, days and weeks at a time. I can say without a doubt, that it’s a great honor to wake up and work amongst such a strong health care community.”
Andrew understands the important contribution he’s making to patients, families, and employees in his role. “There are small ways to improve a patient’s experience and I’ve found that one only needs to have an open ear and heart to their every need. Though a gesture might be considered small to us, it could mean the world to somebody else.”
Are you Made for exceptional patient experience? Explore open positions at Southside Hospital today.
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My Journey to Northwell Health’s Healthcare Management Program
Written by: By Hannah Friedman, 2018 HMP Intern
Northwell Health has been a part of my life since the day I was born…literally. I was born at North Shore University Hospital in December of 1996. Growing up on Long Island, I always felt the presence of the system around me. I grew up inspired by its tremendous reputation throughout my community, but I was unaware of all of the different career paths that could lead me to be a part of it.
As a Biometry & Statistics major at Cornell University, I have taken many math and statistics classes that have applications to both medicine and business. I was always interested in the healthcare industry, but I was also searching for a field that would allow me to apply both my analytical and leadership skills. During my sophomore year, I spent a day shadowing an associate executive director at Lenox Hill Hospital. My fate was sealed as we walked through the halls of the hospital, and he exchanged warm greetings with every employee we passed. That day, I saw firsthand how strong business and interpersonal skills, as well as a desire for helping others, uniquely combine in the field of healthcare management. The following summer, I decided to pursue my interest in this type of work as an administrative intern for Patient Care Services at Lenox Hill. My experience demonstrated how analytics can be translated into meaningful and tangible results that serve to improve patient care. I finally felt like I had found my calling.
There are no words to describe how excited I was when I was offered a position as a summer associate for the Healthcare Management Program at Northwell Health. When I found out that my placement was with the Emergency Medicine Service Line, I wasn’t sure what to expect. To be completely honest, I didn’t even completely understand what it meant. From the very first day, nonetheless, I was immersed as a member of the very strong team that worked in this quick-paced environment. It was so interesting to learn about the service line, which consists of 18 different Emergency Departments. The Emergency Medicine Service Line also partners with Northwell’s Center for Emergency Management and Northwell’s joint venture, GoHealth Urgent Care (GoHealth runs over 44 urgent care centers!). Together, all of these teams are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to the surrounding communities. I participated in many site visits and worked on a variety of projects with the Service Line Development and Clinical Operations teams. We collaborated with IT to help create an app to standardize the flow of the Emergency Departments throughout all of Northwell’s hospitals, performed an operations review for Nassau University Medical Center’s Emergency Department, helped develop a plan to encourage philanthropy, and more.
My favorite project as a summer associate involved helping to prepare the service line for American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation. I did research on the factors that most significantly impact the quality of a geriatric patient’s Emergency Department visit. I then learned how to use Tableau to perform an analysis on the top diagnoses and admission rates for each particular Northwell site, so that they could develop specific policies and protocols that focus on the geriatric population. The team and I also used these analyses to explain the importance of geriatric care to each site’s leadership team and helped them to complete the application. Northwell Health could be the first system in the country to have Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation at all of its sites.
Throughout this summer, I learned so much about hospital finance, operations, and management through the hands-on projects, many networking events, and Lunch and Learn sessions. Leaders inspired us through their stories, taught us valuable lessons, and reminded us that they were once in our shoes. Furthermore, I was able to see the skills and qualities that make people successful in the field. Through Northwell Health’s Healthcare Management Program, I know that I truly learned from the best. I am so grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to apply all I’ve learned as I continue to develop my career in healthcare management.
Submit your resume to become a Summer Associate in the 2019 Healthcare Management Program Internship.
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Hiring for success at Northwell Health’s Veterans Day Interview Day
In honor of Veterans Day, Northwell Health recently hosted a Veterans Day Interview Day: Hiring for Success. This event was to honor and give back to veterans who have served and sacrificed for our country. More than 40 veterans were invited to attend this event to hear from senior leadership, meet with hiring managers to discuss potential job opportunities, and network over lunch.
At Northwell, we’re committed to providing veterans with opportunities to make a successful transition to a rewarding civilian career. Veterans align to our values and bring strong skill sets from their experience. Being mission driven, knowing the importance of community, thinking strategically and working closely on a team are important skills for all Northwell employees to possess. “I am so proud to work for an organization that is committed to helping veterans who have sacrificed so much. Hiring Veterans is the right thing to do, plus the great skills they possess are an asset at Northwell,” said Cheryl Davidson, MPS, senior director of Workforce Readiness, one of the teams who helped to launch the event.
The day started with a keynote from Mark Solazzo, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Mark thanked the veterans for their service and commitment to our country, while also speaking to the importance Northwell places on hiring veteran employees. Veterans were even surprised with a visit from our president and CEO himself, Michael Dowling! Michael spoke at the event and met with the attendees during the networking session.
After hearing from Mark, Michael and Lyndon Chichester, Northwell’s veteran inclusion specialist and United States Air Force Veteran, veteran attendees were invited to network with Northwell leadership over lunch. Attendees also met with our recruiters who then matched them to speak directly with the appropriate hiring managers and regional leadership to discuss job opportunities.
“Our Veterans Interview Day was an amazing event,” said Lyndon, “We had 43 very sharp veterans attend, all excited to join the Northwell Health team. This event and others like it will hopefully lead to more Veteran hires throughout our award winning health system and it also strengthens our relationship with Veteran student organizations and Veteran service organizations throughout the region.”
Northwell Health is committed to our veterans, their career transition, and their growth. If you’d like to learn more about our veterans programs, please visit jobs.northwell.edu/veterans.
Check out some more pictures from our event!
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Photo: Northwell Health supervising nurse practitioner Sheila Davies (pictured center) with her Follow Your Heart team members. Deciding to transition from a registered nurse (RN) to a nurse practitioner (NP) is a big decision. The commitment to obtain the additional education and training for this prestigious designation is significant. And while it may not be for every nursing professional, those who take the step to become an NP gain many new opportunities. For Sheila Davies, a Northwell Health supervising nurse practitioner, the decision to become a nurse practitioner was made early in her nursing career. She started her career with Northwell as a surgical intensive care trauma nurse but wanted to continue her education after receiving her bachelor’s degree. “I knew I wanted more,” says Sheila. “Health care is continuously changing, and I realized that becoming an NP would open up more doors for me and better prepare me for those ongoing changes.” She enrolled in day classes at Stony Brook University while continuing to work nights at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). She completed the NP master’s degree program in two years and immediately accepted a position in NSUH’s open heart intensive care unit. Like Sheila, Peggy McCormack also launched her healthcare career as a registered nurse. With an associate degree from Nassau Community College, Peggy continued to work full time while attending Columbia University for a dual BSN/MSN degree, and graduated as an adult NP. At the time of graduation, Peggy already was working on NSUH’s cardiothoracic service team, which was expanding. She interviewed for one of the open positions and was hired as a NP on the post operative cardiac surgery floor. For both Sheila and Peggy, mentors were very important to their career development, helping to orient them in their new roles. They knew that surrounding themselves with skilled and experienced professionals would help them achieve their own successes. “It was hard work but exciting, challenging and rewarding,” says Peggy. “I was fortunate to work with a team of dynamic practitioners who were clinically outstanding, took pride in the care they provided, had strong work ethics, and on top of all that, they were funny.” For Sheila and Peggy, their focus on education didn’t stop after they became NPs. Sheila continued her education by earning a doctorate in nursing practice. This has enabled her on her path of becoming a change agent in healthcare. She currently leads the Follow Your Heart team who were finalists for the 2018 President’s Award for Teamwork. The program is one of a kind and provides essential follow-up visits for cardiac surgery patients at their home or post-acute care location. Peggy’s pursuit for personal and professional growth led her to obtain a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Hofstra University with a subspecialty in quality management. The program helped her gain greater insights into the business side of health care. With her additional education, Peggy became a clinical liaison, helping with improvement projects. She advanced to the role of supervisor of medicine advanced clinical providers and helped to develop a structured orientation program for new hires at NSUH, which has resulted in improved employee engagement, recruitment and retention rates. For both employees, the support that Northwell provided was pivotal to their success.
Making a shift in your nursing career: How to become a nurse practitioner
Ongoing education
“I was given the flexibility I needed to pursue further education and achieve in my career,” says Sheila. “I’ve been able to constantly improve my skills and knowledge.”
Interested in joining our team of nurse practitioners? Explore our open positions.
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We’re helping employees to understand the facts about their own health — and improve it!
Every day, Northwell Health employees work to improve the health of our patients and communities. But who is looking out for their health? The Northwell Health Employee Wellness team is spreading the word about myWellness, an online platform for employees (also available on the Virgin Pulse mobile app). The tools on myWellness help employees build personal healthy habits, manage stress, sleep better, plan care for long-term illness, and so much more… Here’s a snapshot of this robust tool that’s Made for supporting our employees’ well-being:
Health Risk Assessment Tool
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is open to every Northwell Health employee who joins myWellness, not just those with the company’s health insurance plan. The HRA asks about current mental and physical health, family history, habits, and nutrition to determine a lifestyle score and heart age. The assessment is then broken down to show where someone is doing well, where caution is needed, and where it is time to take action. There’s real value in taking this assessment, since both the lifestyle score and heart age provide a snapshot of overall health, a snapshot that can help determine what kind of health plan works best, what lifestyle changes should be made, and what can be done to seize control of personal health and wellness.
A Personal Experience with Northwell Health’s Stress Management Tool
Stress can be a major driver of how we make day-to-day decisions that ultimately impact our health. Often, we develop unhealthy habits as a way to cope, such as overeating or excessively worrying. That’s why we incorporated stress management tools into our health benefits. This includes a guided meditation program, where employees can create a playlist, save favorite sessions, and set goals. Sessions on Mindfulness 101, Emotional intelligence 101, and Yoga 101 can also be taken through this platform.
Here’s AR Clerk, Patient Accounts China Lankford on her experience with one of our stress management tools, guided meditation:
“First, let me say that I have never done meditation in my life. I needed to find a way to release elements of stress and anxiety hurting my body and mind, and the meditation class helped me. I felt so relaxed and my body was at ease. In other words, I felt like a new person. We go through so much on the job and meditation helps me to get through my day — I feel more relaxed than ever at my desk doing my work.”
In-Plan Benefits
Employees* enrolled in the Value, Buy-Up or High Deductible employee medical plans have access to:
- Wellness Credit Program
- Northwell Health Solutions
- In-system providers, services and facilities at a low cost
And the benefits are always growing! In 2019, several new well-bring programs will be launched for medical plan participants to support physical and emotional growth.
Learn more about what else we’re doing in wellness at Northwell Health here.
*Union employees will receive benefits based on their CBA.
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From exams to important meetings – my journey to becoming a Healthcare Management Program associate
Written by: Ryan Ott, 2018 HMP Intern
Coming into college, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I chose to be an Economics major because I knew that it was broad enough, and it allowed me to explore exactly what my passion was. Being from Long Island, I had always been surrounded by Northwell Health. However, it never crossed my mind what a job in healthcare would really look like. How could you work for Northwell without a MD or Nursing degree? Fortunately, my friend’s father is a Cardiologist in the health system and strongly suggested that I look into healthcare administration.
During the summer of 2017, only a couple of months later, I was set up to shadow 5 different administrators in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, and Business Development. Upon starting, I immediately recognized how special this field was. I grew a passion for the behind-the-scenes work that needed to be done for a physician’s appointment to take place. It was something that I knew I needed to be a part of. After a little over a month of attending meetings, visiting practices, and soaking in the day to day operations of healthcare leaders, I set out to find a way to continue to work with Northwell.
I was briefly told about the opportunity to apply to be a Healthcare Management Program associate. After extensive research, it seemed as if the program was a perfect fit for me. I wanted to continue my healthcare experience, and I yearned for the ability to actually contribute value to a team. After a number of interviews, I finally got the call. I had just gotten out of soccer practice when I saw the voicemail left on my phone. Needless to say, I called back half a second later. I was ecstatic that I was going to have the opportunity to come back to Northwell and be a part of such a highly regarded internship program.
Fast forward to today, where I am just starting my eighth and final week of this program. This program far exceeded my expectations. I had anticipated performing all the stereotypical intern duties, such as running to get coffee and doing work others didn’t want to do. I was blown away by how welcoming the staff at the Clinical Call Center (within Health Solutions) was. Within the first few days, the Director gave me important responsibilities and allowed me to initiate my own projects. Some of my responsibilities ranged from drawing up project plans to designing workflows to be presented to leadership. Looking back on the past 2 months, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I was constantly challenged to step outside of my comfort zone. In doing so, I feel like a more well-rounded professional, and more importantly, a well-rounded person. I can confidently say that this program solidified my goals to become a future healthcare leader
Update: Ryan has been offered and accepted a full-time position at North Shore University Hospital once he graduates from Bucknell University in May.
Submit your resume to become a Summer Associate in the 2019 Healthcare Management Program Internship.
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An Appointment With: John Bosco, SVP and Chief Information Officer
The role of Information Technology in healthcare is ever more important in delivering outstanding care that patients can trust. Whether it be delivering real-time access to patient information or helping consumers access Northwell services in a convenient mobile environment, Northwell’s IT department is leading the way. As a leader within Northwell since 2004, John Bosco serves as the senior vice president and chief information officer. Overseeing the information technology function of the largest integrated healthcare network in New York is no small task. We caught up with John to hear about how the IT department is continuously growing and how it’s a department that’s Truly Innovative.
How has Northwell’s IT department grown over the past few years and how will it continue to grow?
Northwell’s IT department has grown and continues to adapt to the changing landscape in healthcare delivery and financing. Our priorities have shifted as a result of new care models, new payment models, the move toward personalized medicine, consumer demands, and the acceleration of new, innovative technologies that are starting to take hold. For example, we expect artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies will help drive improvements in clinical care, operations, or financial performance, providing better clinical decision support to clinicians, making the systems more efficient for them to use, and helping to automate repetitive tasks. There is a new device or app invented multiple times every day. It’s our job to understand how to take advantage of these emerging technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of care.
As Northwell continues to grow and expand, so do the technologies and staff needed to support our health system. We are very focused on building a connected, integrated health system, where clinicians have real-time access to the information they need to treat their patients. Every Physician practice, hospital, imaging center, ambulatory surgery center, and our many other care venues, are connected together through our Health Information Exchange technology so all data about a patient can be delivered where and when it is needed.
Providing easier and more convenient access for consumers to access Northwell services is a major focus right now. We have got to make consumers feel we know them and their preferences when they come to us, make it easy to get an appointment through an app on their smartphone, and reduce the burden for them to provide the information we need to collect in order to treat them and produce a bill for our services. We want patients to visit our health system from the time they are born and throughout their lifetime.
The protection and safeguarding of our patient’s data is one of our most important responsibilities as a health system. With all of the cybersecurity problems happening today that you can read or hear about in the media almost every day, we continue to invest in people and technologies that prevent hackers and malicious software from entering our networks and systems. Training all Northwell employees on safe practices, such as not responding to potentially malicious emails, is paramount to our effort to protect our technology environments.
Are there any areas in IT that are helping to drive current or future growth?
The changes and innovations taking place in health IT require me to find new skills in the marketplace. Software developers used to shun healthcare given that we traditionally purchased commercial software systems and focused on implementations -but the rapid changes in healthcare delivery, and the innovations taking place, now enable us to develop innovative software that is not available in the market to purchase. IT Security engineers are one of the hottest jobs in the market. Data scientists who can comb through large databases to find insights into how we can improve quality and efficiency are another hot, and difficult skill to find. Software developers and support people who know how to operate in the ‘cloud’ environment are also very valuable to us.
Healthcare IT is going through some big changes industry-wide. How is Northwell being Truly Innovative with technology to stay ahead of the curve?
The three vectors changing the healthcare landscape include consumerization, mobility, and “uberization” of our technology infrastructure. These three vectors are empowering the patient to manage their data, and get access to the right care giver, at the right time, and at the right place. The increase in the tech savvy consumer population has pushed technology towards a consumer model. Smart phones used to belong to a privileged few, now the value of two way real-time voice, data, and video communications has resulted in there being a super computer in the hands of every citizen. Phones have become the camera, the recorder, the guide, and a healthcare access device.
With the arrival of the ‘cloud’, transmission, storage and retrieval of information made the mobile ecosystem whole. Traditional locked-down regimented data centers and applications are in the evening of their life. Cloud is available to the consumer on an as needed basis with a pay as you use model. Uberization has engulfed the technology infrastructure.
Northwell is in the eye of this paradigm shift affecting all facets of healthcare and the care delivery model. Innovation is the art of thinking that leverages this paradigm shift and enables care delivery effectively. With consumerization, mobility, and uberization of information technology, Northwell is on a journey to be a health buddy to our patients throughout the continuum. Agility is our accelerator that enables a real time interface with our patients, providers, administrators, payers and regulators to provide actionable clinical information.
We have invested in people, tools, and new processes that will enable us to be more innovative and quicker to market with new technologies. It is hard work to shift from older technologies and ways of doing things that have existed for decades. We are deploying systems architected on open industry standards such as web, HL7, FHIR, and other standards. Handshakes with external systems are enabled by employing open application programming interfaces (API) stacks. Applications are developed using an agile framework with hybrid-cloud back end, enabling the transmission of data to the right environment to enable mobility and scalability. The overarching strategy is to move data from creation to destination to retrieval in the most effective and economical manner.
Northwell IT is positioned to optimize opportunities resulting from these paradigm shifts in the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies. The future is exciting and holds the promise of a vastly different way of our consumers and clinicians interacting with each other.
How is Northwell IT innovating its workforce practices?
As one of the most innovative healthcare systems, we want to ensure that our technology culture is progressive and attracts and retains top talent. The workforce of the future is more mobile and want new ways to work. In response to this shift, the Information Services department has a group of leaders working on what the future of our workforce will look like and how to keep them engaged and productive.
We see more opportunities to increase collaboration and knowledge sharing across internal departments. Using more virtual workers and work-from-home programs presents an opportunity for us to bring down our labor and office space costs, while increasing employee satisfaction by providing the flexibility they may need and want for work-life balance. It’s also possible we will look toward an IT office in another state in order to find enough talent for our projects.
In addition, the jobs of the future at Northwell must become increasingly centered around the consumer, and some IT workers may not require as much healthcare expertise as they currently require.
We also see an opportunity for using external and internal crowdsourcing to solve problems and innovate.
Northwell IT is already making progress to be ready for the future of our workforce from a leadership perspective, now we are more focused from an organizational and talent perspective.
Our goal is to become an employer of choice and best place to work. In order to meet this goal, we need to respond to the changing labor demographics which in turn allows us to expand our talent pool and retain the best. It’s a win-win for both employer and employees!
What role will Data play in the future of Healthcare IT and here at Northwell?
Northwell has a long history of utilizing the vast amounts of data available to assess our performance and drive clinical improvements, operational efficiencies, and improve financial performance. We continue to grow our capabilities to enable more and more sophisticated analytics with the implementation of an enterprise data warehouse that combines clinical, operational and financial data and cutting edge visualization tools that enable both enterprise-level and department-specific analytics. The next iteration of this will be the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to begin moving toward more predictive analytics to improve clinical care and financial outcomes. Northwell will compete on our data in the future. Our ability to mine the vast amounts of data we possess will be our differentiator, very much like how Amazon revolutionized the consumer experience of buying goods online.
What is an interesting fact that people should know about you?
I don’t know that I’m all that interesting of a person! My priorities are my family, my friends and my career. I love working at Northwell with so many people who share the same passions I do for excellence in everything we do. I am thankful to work at such a great health system where helping people is always our highest priority. I’m a born-and-bred New Yorker and truly believe New York is the center of the universe! I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Think you’re Made for the innovation John is talking about? Explore IT positions here.
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Meet our Truly Ambitious Pediatric NP Andrea Orbon
This post is part of a blog series highlighting Northwell Health’s ACPs – Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. Each Northwell Health employee was nominated by their manager as an individual that exemplifies one of Northwell Health’s values. This month, we’re proud to introduce you to Andrea Orbon, who is a Truly Ambitious Nurse Practitioner. Hear her story.
Andrea Orbon CPNP has always considered herself a very ambitious person. After being a pediatric nurse, she pushed herself to become a nurse practitioner (NP) so she could do even more for her patients and their families. “As an NP, I’m here not only for the patient, but for their parents as well. I’m not only the diagnostician, but I’m their friend. I’m here to listen.”
Since starting her career with Northwell Health in 2014, Andrea has maintained valuable connections with her patients and their families as they’ve grown, even caring for her former patient’s children. Andrea empathizes with her young patients and their families. Her commitment to her work is inspiring. “It takes dedication to your profession, regardless of your position, to ensure you are still there for your patients. What’s nice about our practice is your patients become part of your family,” she says.
Though she’s been in the field for years, Andrea continues to push for new ways to connect with her patients. She’s helped orchestrate visits with local offices to develop a personal connection with doctors. This opens direct lines of communication, builds relationships with other doctors and, eventually, leads to referrals. Andrea goes above and beyond when building relationships with doctors and patients, and she frequently visits the hospital nursery during her rounds, on weekends, and on her days off to provide care to newborns and their parents before they officially become her patients. Andrea says, “I’m proud of this office because most pediatricians don’t take the time to go to the nursery, but we take efforts to be there at that first moment to deliver continuity of care.”
Andrea feels that the way she makes a difference as an NP is to fight for services that children need today. These services include early intervention, anxiety management, and working with schools and psychologists that serve as the liaison between behavioral and psychological care. “As an NP, we do more because we are the connecting piece between all the care delivered. We’re nurses first, and then NPs. We’re there for the patient and the family, which helps us treat the whole picture and not just the specific case. Continuing our personalized care and taking the extra step or making the extra call that’s needed to provide the patient with what they need, especially with kids who need early intervention or have school issues, makes a big difference in their daily lives.”
Being Truly Ambitious inside a large health system means going beyond delivering quality care. It means focus on personalized care that’s more than a quick check-up, and it’s dedicated service that accounts for patients’ whole selves, now and in the future. Andrea’s work is the definition of Truly Ambitious, and we are proud to call her a member of our Northwell Health family.
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Nursing students gain invaluable experience in eight week Nurse Extern Program
Each summer, our Nurse Extern Program provides Junior BSN students with a rewarding 8-week paid preceptorship. These future nurses gain invaluable knowledge daily to build the strong foundation necessary to launch a great nursing career.
At Northwell, we’re dedicated to helping our nursing externs develop the skills they need to help deliver the best care possible to our patients. “I learned and practiced essential nursing skills but most importantly, I gained confidence in my ability to care for and advocate for my patients,” says Toni Barbarino, an extern at North Shore University Hospital this past summer. “I will carry the lessons I learned this summer with me throughout my entire nursing career.”
The education doesn’t stop at the bedside. Throughout the program, there are educational in-services presented by our nurse educators and leadership. “Nurse externs spend eight weeks of the summer working with the best nurse educators, RN preceptors and team members gaining knowledge and confidence as the begin their Senior year,” says Ellen Lorenz, RN, BSN and program manager of nursing fellowships and recruiting. And the externs agree! Mary Ellen Zarriello, an extern at Long Island Jewish Hospital, adds, “From the first day of the summer program through the last, the nurse educators made every effort to ensure that I, and my fellow externs, had exceptional opportunities for professional and personal growth.”
This isn’t just a summer externship, it’s a stepping stone. “Our goal is to hire our externs at Northwell when they graduate,” says Ellen. Students in the extern program not only develop a strong skill set while they’re still in school, but they’re building lasting relationships with future peers. Most importantly, their passion and commitment to patients is only strengthened as they gain unique experience in real life settings.
And the program’s only growing! This year’s 2018 program hosted over 70 nurse externs at 13 hospitals, more than 2017’s 60 externs and nearly double the number from 2015. As it continues to expand, our Nurse Extern Program is helping more and more nursing students achieve their full potential to start a great nursing career.
By investing in our students today, we’re helping to redefine health care for years to come. This program not only allows for externs to learn from nurses with years of experience but introduces them to settings they won’t see in their clinical rotations. Nursing students finish their summer with a better understanding of the full spectrum of nursing, and an ignited passion to finish becoming a registered nurse.
Are you Made for the future of nursing? Learn more about our Nurse Extern Program here!
Hear from 2018’s summer Nurse Externs on why they loved our Nurse Extern Program:
“Being a nurse extern at North Shore University Hospital was truly a once in a lifetime experience. My favorite program feature was working one on one with my preceptor. My preceptor was patient with me as I learned, took time to teach me all that she could, and helped me gain confidence in my skills and myself! At the Golden Ticket Event a statement was made that this program transforms you from a student to a nurse, and that is exactly what it did! Thanks to Northwell I know that I am made for this!”
“I was a nurse extern at North Shore University Hospital for the Summer of 2018 where I worked one on one with a nurse in the Operating Room. I truly got to see what it is like to work as a nurse by working three 12-hour shifts per week for the first time. I loved being in the operating room because this area is not a part of my clinical rotations in nursing school. Being placed one on one with a nurse made the experience feel so personal and gave me so much time to ask questions. The nurse educators always went out of their way to make sure we were getting the best experience possible. This was a learning experience unlike anything else I have ever had, and I cannot be more thankful for what it has done for me. Going into my senior year of college, I feel more prepared and motivated than ever before to finish nursing school with this background.”
“The Northwell Health Summer Nurse Externship was an invaluable experience that provided me with the opportunity to work alongside and learn from the most exceptional educators, preceptors, and staff. Each shift I was challenged to grow my bank of knowledge and skills, all of which will be imperative in my future career as a registered nurse. This externship gave me the opportunity to be a part of simulation experiences, as well as be a member of the healthcare team. I am so grateful for the confidence and practical experience this program provided me with.”
“This summer I had the opportunity to be a Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center Nurse Extern. This externship provided me the skills and confidence that no other opportunity would have given me. I made amazing memories, met incredible people and worked with some of the best pediatric health care providers. Being in the pediatric intensive care unit has always been a dream of mine and this externship experience has only reinforced my dreams of being a PICU nurse. I look forward to the amazing experiences Northwell has to offer and I am extremely grateful for this past summer.”
“This program helped me further prepare for the transition from a nursing student to an RN. I was truly submerged into the all-around patient care from team meetings with other health care professionals, to hands on nursing care working side by side with my RN, and independently communicating with patients and families. Entering my final semester of nursing school, I am feeling most confident about my skills and feeling that I have tied together everything I have learned in school from this externship.”
“The Northwell Health Summer Nurse Externship Program can only be described in one word…invaluable. Every moment of my summer was filled with experiences that cannot be matched by any other healthcare system or clinical site. My time in the Surgical ICU at Long Island Jewish Medical Center was transformative in my nursing education. I am excited for my last year of nursing school and for my career ahead knowing that I have been exposed to such a high standard of healthcare as a part of this program. This program has transformed me from a nursing student to a confident nurse professional.”
“The Nurse Extern program was a deeply rewarding experience that has not only helped me develop and strengthen clinical skills, but most importantly taught me the value and significance of patient and family centered care. Northwell Health, especially Long Island Jewish Medical Center, is filled with dedicated employees who were beyond supportive and welcoming throughout the duration of the program. As I move on within the nursing profession, I will always value the opportunities the externship has provided and treasure the memories it has created.”
“Northwell Health’s Summer Nurse Extern program is the perfect combination of education and on the job experience. I found myself applying prior knowledge learned in school, as well as new knowledge I acquired from my amazing preceptor in the clinical setting at Glen Cove Hospital. The training and education I received completely prepared me for my future endeavors as an RN. This Nurse Externship left me feeling like I really made a difference and contributed to the well being of the patients who I cared for. The best part about this program was the one on one collaboration it offered to each and every student! I feel super confident entering my final year of nursing school, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity with Northwell Health.”
“The Northwell Health Nurse Externship was truly a life changing experience. The program has changed me not only as a nursing student, but as a person as well. This past summer I gained skills, knowledge, and developed competency as a nursing student, but what I am most thankful for is the confidence this program afforded me. With the support of my preceptors, nurse managers and nurse educators I was able to conquer competencies that I never thought possible as a student. Thanks to the Northwell Health Nurse Externship I begin my senior year of nursing school confident in my skills and with an even more intense passion for the nursing profession. This program has left me both excited and eager to begin pursuing a career in nursing and has made me sure that I am made for this!”
“I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work as a Northwell Health Summer Nurse Extern at Southside Hospital. The guidance and clinical expertise that I received from my preceptors and educators were invaluable. I truly enjoyed my experience and I look forward to using the knowledge and skills that I learned this summer in clinical this year.”
“At the beginning of the externship program, I thought that I knew what nursing was about. Being in the emergency room opened my eyes to a completely new side of nursing, and led me to having experiences that I had never imagined taking part in. I will be a better nurse because of this. Thank you Northwell health for this amazing opportunity.”
“I fell in love with this externship as well as Lenox Hill Hospital and Northwell Health and I hope to return as an RN. It was the most educational and enlightening experience I have received throughout nursing school and has strengthened my passion for the nursing profession.”
“The summer Nurse Externship program at Northwell was a wonderful experience. The program encouraged critical thinking skills and helped me advance my clinical nursing skills. My preceptor fostered a learning environment and helped me gain confidence in the clinical setting. I had many optimal learning opportunities and by the end of the program I felt like I had become part of the Northwell nursing team.”
“Being a Nurse Extern at LIJ Valley Stream was truly an experience I’ll never forget. Before the program, I remember feeling anxious about becoming a nurse and the high expectations that are required of nurses, but after the 8 weeks, I have definitely felt more confident and excited to be an RN in the Northwell System. The entire staff of LIJ Valley Stream were incredibly welcoming and as genuine, I felt like a part of their family very quickly. This experience had validated all the information I learned in nursing school and it was awesome to see what I learned put into practice. I am truly glad I got the opportunity to be a Summer Nurse Extern at LIJ Valley Stream.”
I entered this externship knowing I would learn, of course. I learned about the nursing career, witnessed interprofessional communication, performed and observed skills, and practiced speaking to patients and professionals. But what I am most grateful for are the relationships I made with everyone I encountered at Plainview Hopsital. I am also immensely grateful for the abundance of knowledge I’ve learned about myself through bedside nursing. I’ve realized it’s not always about what you can teach patients, but what patients can teach you. I’d like to specifically thank all of the wonderful people on the telemetry unit. The experience I’ve had with Northwell are memories and lessons I will never forget, and they are helping me become the nurse I strive to be. I am honored to have been part of this program, because now I truly know I am made for this.
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Northwell’s Emerging Leaders Diversity & Inclusion Council shows the power of being Truly Ourselves
Northwell Health knows that as impressive as we are individually, we’re even better working Truly Together. We’re committed to standing together and building a diverse and inclusive work environment that strengthens our organization. By standing Truly Together, we’re allowing our employees to confidently be Truly Ourselves.
This is also the goal of Northwell’s Emerging Leaders Diversity & Inclusion Council, a group formed in 2017 of some of our exemplary employees working to ensure that diverse voices are being heard throughout the organization.
“Early last year, I was asked by Joe Moscola [SVP and Chief People Officer] to form a group that could provide a voice from the perspective of a young, emerging leader on the diversity and inclusion efforts at Northwell Health,” says Jason Philip, Administrative Director of Emergency Medicine at Southside Hospital & Peconic Bay Medical Center, “A small group of 10 individuals from across Northwell were asked to participate, and together we have been committed to attracting, developing, and retaining young diverse talent for leadership positions.”
“I have always found that the health system understands the diversity of its employee population and makes an effort to engage all members of the team, from larger initiatives like the Emerging Leaders Diversity & Inclusion Council or respecting cultural backgrounds with things like holiday cards,” says Ines Ruiz, council member and Senior Administrative Manager.
Northwell’s continually growing awareness of diversity and inclusion will help to more effectively manage an increasingly diverse workforce and serve our patient population. This inclusive culture will also build an organization for the future that is more creative, innovative, and responsive to change in our market.
The Diversity Council is working hard to craft recommendations for programs that will roll out in the beginning of 2019. These talented leaders are looking to enhance our diversity and inclusion programs already in place as well as helping to form best practices for onboarding, mentoring and succession planning.
But their work won’t stop there! “We hope to continue to be an active voice at Northwell to ensure that our organization keeps making steps toward inclusiveness for all people, and that the leadership at Northwell continues to grow to reflect that,” says Jason.
At Northwell, we’re striving to change the future of health care. Diversity and inclusion helps continue to not only make our organization a great place to work, but helps us deliver extraordinary care to all of our varied patients. We’re looking for candidates like you to help us continue to stand Truly Together!
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Inside Northwell: Lenox Hill OR
For our latest Inside Northwell Facebook Live event, we visited Lenox Hill Hospital to talk with the team in the operating room. Working in the operating room takes dedication and passion, especially in the city that never sleeps. We sat down with Eleonora Shapiro, DNP, MHA, CNOR, BC-NEA (Associate Executive Director of PeriOp), Nelly Arceyut (Registered Nurse), Donald Frederick (Surgical Technologist), and Jamaica Malang (Registered Nurse) from Lenox Hill to hear their career advice and why they being a part of the OR. And don’t miss the live tour of Lenox Hill’s OR from Eleonora following the panel! Check it out by watching the video below.
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Northwell Health military veterans share their best advice for veterans looking for healthcare careers
One of the many things we’ve learned from listening to the former military members on our team at Northwell Health is the power of working together with others who share your goals and mission.
We talked with several military veterans on our Northwell Health team to get you the best advice on how to take your military skills and apply them to a civilian job in healthcare. They reminded us just how valuable their military training has been to their careers and reinforced our unyielding commitment to supporting veterans.
Hear advice directly from military veterans who have been in your shoes! We asked our team members for their best tips on making the most of your military skills in civilian careers.
“Being organized and disciplined” is critical in any endeavor, says Melonie C. Pernice, RT (R), MBA. “Having the ability to follow through on assignments, even in difficult or stressful situations” is one way the military prepared Melonie to shine in her role here as administrative director of radiology and cardiology at our Plainview and Syosset Hospitals.
Cynthia LaRocca, DNP, RN, director of nursing education and professional development, knows the value of following the chain of command, but tries always to “lead with a heart and try to remember that things are not always just black and white.”
Mergers & acquisitions director Andrew Roberts cautions that “transitioning out can be tough, it takes courage to ask for help, but don’t shy away from that.” His advice on taking your military training to the next level in a civilian career? “Find your passion outside of the workplace, the connections you’ll make there are invaluable.”
And we couldn’t agree more with our veterans! If you’re ready to connect with an opportunity like no other – one where your unique skills can continue to make a life-changing difference – join the Northwell Health team.
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If you are an individual with a disability requesting an accommodation for the application process, please click the contact us link above to request assistance.
Learn more about our hiring experience.
Read answers to common questions about the application process.
© 2021 - Northwell Health
Click here to view the “EEO is the law” poster.
It is Northwell Health’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity and treat all applicants and employees equally regardless of their age, race, creed/religion, color, national origin, immigration status or citizenship status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, sex/gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, pregnancy, genetic information or genetic predisposition or carrier status, marital or familial status, partnership status, victim of domestic violence, sexual or other reproductive health decisions, or other characteristics protected by applicable law.
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