Protecting our country as a veteran and communities as an Environmental Service Worker

For Nelson Martinez, a supervisor in Environmental Services (EVS) at Plainview Hospital, a commitment to helping and protecting others led him to a lifelong career in healthcare and in the U.S. Army Reserves.
It was an unexpected career journey for Nelson, who back in 2004 hadn’t planned on an EVS career. “Over the years I’ve learned a lot from being in the healthcare environment and really became excited to pursue it,” says Nelson. “It’s so rewarding being in a field where you can help the community and people all around you.”
The reward of helping others was also one he found while serving in the Army Reserves, which he first joined in 2007 and continues to serve in today. As an engineer operating heavy equipment, Nelson has been deployed twice: once in 2010 for 14 months and again in 2014 for nine months.
“Northwell has shown me great support while I’ve been at work and whenever I have had to go on deployments,” says Nelson. “My management team has also been very supportive and has always asked if there’s anything I need or if they can help.”

Developing leadership skills in the Reserves

Throughout his training and deployment, Nelson has developed skills that he’s been able to bring back to his work at Plainview Hospital. “Serving in the military has taught me leadership skills, how to train others and the ability to adapt to any situation as they occur,” says Nelson.
Adaptability and leadership skills were especially vital to Nelson this year during the COVID-19 pandemic where our EVS team members played a vital role in keeping our patients, team members and facilities safe. Having just grown into his supervisor role at the start of the pandemic, Nelson relied on his leadership experience to stay on top of their new responsibilities, to make sure his team members and the patients were being safe and to ensure a thoroughly and properly cleaned environment.
Within the hospital, he has found a team environment where he has enjoyed being able to partner with various departments where each team member serves an important role in our united mission to deliver compassionate care. He also loves being able to build rewarding moments with patients and visitors, many of whom he is able to connect with over a shared experience of having served in the military.
At Northwell, Nelson has found an organization with diverse opportunities. “Northwell is an awesome place to build and pursue a career,” says Nelson. “There are so many different fields to choose from, just like in the military.”
Find your next mission at Northwell Health. Learn about our commitment to veterans here.