Celebrating our Wellness Liaisons

Northwell Health’s Wellness Liaisons are an important part of our culture. More than 200 liaisons across the organization help enhance and support the well-being our of team members both mentally and physically by:

• Influencing them to live a healthy lifestyle
• Communicating system wellness initiatives
• Implementing wellness programs in their departments
• Hosting wellness workshops
• Providing healthy tips and much more

Hear why our team members love being a Wellness Liaison and how they’ve achieved personal growth through healthy living:

Driven and Determined Nicole Martinez, RN

In honor of Nurses Week, which Northwell Health is celebrating all month long, we are sharing the stories of some of our incredible nurses and their inspirational journeys. For Nicole Martinez, she decided to become a nurse all because of a smile.

It all began when her mother was being cared for at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC) for pancreatic cancer in 2005. Although her mother’s outcome was not the one Nicole’s family had hoped for, the amazing nurses, doctors and patient care assistants left a lasting impression. The day Nicole was told her mother only had one week to live, she walked into the room expecting tears but instead found her mother smiling with her nurse. Reflecting on that moment, Nicole says, “To this day I do not know what that nurse said to make her smile, but I remember thinking here is a 46-year-old woman who was just told she was going to die…and someone made her smile.” That moment and that smile was what led Nicole to become a nurse so that she too could help others find comfort during the most difficult time in their lives.

After her mother passed away, Nicole needed to pause her education to help support her family, so she took a position as a receptionist at LIJMC where she worked for two years before applying and being accepted to nursing school. With the support of Northwell, her manager, and her coworkers, Nicole was able to continue working full time while attending school full time with support from Northwell’s tuition reimbursement program. Her determination and hard work paid off when she graduated with her Associate Degree in Nursing and began working as a registered nurse on the same floor where she was a receptionist. But she wasn’t finished yet. Nicole went on to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, once again aided by tuition reimbursement and encouragement from Northwell. But she still wasn’t finished. After transferring to the Ambulatory Surgery Unit, (ASU), Nicole again set her sights a little higher and completed her master’s degree. She was then promoted to her current role of assistant nurse manager.

About her amazing accomplishments, Nicole says, “Northwell gave me the opportunities, the strength, the financial support, and the courage that I needed to attain my goals. I tell everyone to this day if you want it, there is no excuse. Thank you Northwell for the past 15 years. Because of you, I am who I am today!”

How We Celebrated Our Nursing Health Raisers During Nurses Week!

National Nurses Week is here and at Northwell Health we are celebrating every moment of it. In fact, we will be celebrating all month long to honor our 18,000+ nurses across Long Island, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester. After a year unlike any other, we are stronger today because of our registered nurses’ commitment to raising the standard of care in the communities where we live, love and belong. And as we reflect on the selfless individuals the whole world considers heroes, it fills our hearts with gratitude to call these incredible men and women our colleagues, our friends, our family, and our neighbors.

During Nurses Week, Northwell has many activities planned to honor our nurses including, virtual cooking classes, blessing of the hands, award ceremonies, wellness initiatives such as yoga and wellness retreats, among other activities.

Hear why our nurses in their own words love working at Northwell and how they feel supported.

“Endless opportunities to shoot for the stars.”

“I love working as a nurse with Northwell because its more than a job, it’s a family. The support, the encouragement, the camaraderie, and the overall feeling that you are part of a team making a difference in people’s lives.”

“There are so many opportunities for a nurse at Northwell. Follow your passion and seek new challenges.”

“The fact that I’ve been a nurse at LIJ Medical Center since 1980, way before it was Northwell, speaks of my trust and dedication!”

“I love being a nurse at Northwell because I have the pleasure of working and meeting people with diverse backgrounds to improve the health of our communities.”

“Being a Northwell nurse is like having a second family and a home. Great teamwork, support, a safe place to work and my voice is heard. I like Northwell’s values and commitment to our patients and community.”

“I love being a Northwell nurse because I work with a great interdisciplinary team. Northwell supports my career advancement and continuing education.”

“Compassion amongst team members to provide the best care possible for our patients.”

“I love the ability to work in all different areas of nursing and be able to stay with a system who supports me.”

“I work with a phenomenal group of nurses who never hesitate to help one another, and who I consider to be my friends. We’ve all been working away on the COVID floor, staying strong for our patients and each other.”

“Because you come to realize at some point in your career that nurses are a powerful group that can affect and guide change. Our patients and our communities deserve the voice we can give them.”

Join our team members and discover a career well cared for. Apply today!

Meet Truly Compassionate Physician Assistant (PA) Kayla Core

For Kayla Core, PA, one of the most important parts of being a good PA is seizing every opportunity to emphasize the “care” in healthcare by providing patients and families with the invaluable gift of feeling loved. It’s a core value of her clinical practice that has only grown and evolved throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kayla’s path to her career began 20 years ago when her dad was diagnosed with skin cancer. As she learned more about his diagnosis and managing his care, Kayla became determined to be there for other patients the same way she was there for her dad. This led her to her desire to enter the medical field and become a PA.

She began her career at Northwell Health as a physician assistant student on rotation through various specialties of medicine. It was during her MICU rotation that Kayla discovered delivering ICU care was where she was meant to be. Since then she has become a PA on the critical care float team at North Shore University Hospital, where she was trained. Today, she practices in multiple ICUs.

“Northwell provided me with preceptors who genuinely took the time to teach me the culture of the ICU and how to perform procedures by the bedside,” says Kayla. “It is a hospital system that gives Advanced Clinical Providers the opportunity to be part of the patient’s care firsthand while collaborating with a supervising physician. These qualities make Northwell stand out to me, and I am proud to be a Northwell PA.”

At Northwell, Kayla has had the opportunity to work in multiple specialties throughout her career and explore the different fields of medicine she’s interested in. She cites her team and fellow employees as her favorite thing about Northwell. People who she says are incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and truly support one another. It’s a collaborative environment that goes beyond teamwork when physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, speech pathologists, dieticians, and many others share knowledge and expertise to provide the highest quality of care for patients.

However, it was while working in the COVID ICU throughout the pandemic that Kayla witnessed the toll the virus can take on patients firsthand, despite doing everything you can as a healthcare provider. It was this experience of delivering critical care to patients who were unable to have visitors due to COVID regulations that taught Kayla the importance of being a rock for families when they were unable to see or hold their loved ones. In turn, she has a greater appreciation for her own rock–her team. “My experience has made me stronger as a PA and I am fortunate to be a part of a team who is my rock,” says Kayla. “I have learned that if we can be there for each other and get through this together, then we can get through anything.”

And the impact that Kayla has had on her patients’ lives goes beyond their clinical care. Alongside her mother, Kayla created a program called Hearts for Hope, crocheting hearts to give to families who might need a little extra love and comfort. While working in the COVID ICU, Kayla was inspired to continue to grow the program due to the grateful reactions of her patients so she enlisted members of the community for help. The overwhelming number of responses to her call for assistance with crocheting more hearts only proved to Kayla how much love exists in the community.

It was these moments of raw emotion that made Kayla realize how special the crocheted hearts are and how she, her team and her community could work together to spread even more love and compassion. “The patients’ eyes would fill with tears as they would say thank you,” says Kayla. “Their families would clench the heart in their hands as they reflected on the cherished moments they’ve had with their loved ones.”

We at Northwell are equally proud to call someone as compassionate, dedicated, and inspiring as Kayla one of our own. And we can’t wait to see what she does next. If you’re inspired by Kayla, become a Health Raiser and discover a career well cared for at Northwell Health.

Why Northwell Health is once again a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®!

Northwell Health has been named to Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the second year in a row, ranking 19 on the prestigious annual list. We are also the only New York health system ranked, recognized for our commitment to employee health amid COVID-19 crisis.

With a workforce of more than 76,000 based at 23 hospitals and 830 outpatient facilities throughout New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, Northwell was selected from among thousands of companies nationwide.

Ninety percent of Northwell’s respondents reported being “proud to tell others” where they work and 84 percent said that “taking everything into account, they would say it is a great place to work.” The responses given during the ongoing pandemic reflect that Northwell team members feel more supported psychologically and emotionally, believe that Northwell cares about creating a good working environment, and that executive leadership embodies the best of Northwell.

A commitment to employee health and safety!

Another major factor contributing to the ranking included our commitment to employee health, both emotional and financial. For example, recognizing that frontline employees were under immense pressure, the health system created tranquility spaces using tents outside hospitals during the surge. Behavioral health professionals were available free of charge, as well as chaplaincy services, well-being resources and more. This provided safe and calming environments for employees to reflect, meditate, or pray before or after a shift.

The tents have now been replaced with indoor spaces as a permanent feature at Northwell hospitals.

To mitigate the worry many employees had of bringing the coronavirus home to their families, Northwell established partnerships with IHG Hotels, Ronald McDonald House, and various universities to provide housing so employees could physically distance from loved ones. Those who found alternative accommodations outside of this program were reimbursed for their expenses. Northwell also partnered with a transportation company to provide dedicated shuttles, so no one had to worry about potentially infecting other public transit passengers or being infected themselves.

Supporting families through a crisis

To aid employees with young children the health system offered crisis care reimbursement and a subsidized in-person childcare program for the 2020-2021 school year to help offset financial strain on families.

Recognizing the need for additional help, the Northwell Heroes Caregiver Support Fund was created to provide resources to employees who were financially impacted by the pandemic, such as a spouse’s job loss or a family member’s death. To date, the fund has disbursed $1,056,208.

In addition, the health system set up the Northwell Heroes Memorial Fund to support the families of employees who died from COVID-19, including help with funeral expenses, memorials, and other related expenses. The fund has raised more than $323,000 to cover salary and benefits that affected families continue to receive.

Delivering the COVID vaccine

On December 14, 2020, Northwell was the first health system in the United States to immunize its frontline workers against COVID-19, and has continued to roll out its vaccination efforts to team members.

While Northwell is focused on protecting team members, it is also at the forefront of the vaccination effort throughout the communities it serves with partnerships with county agencies, other health care providers, and community and faith-based organizations the vaccine is reaching as many as possible.

Northwell’s Best Companies to Work For recognition comes on the heels of the health system being named to Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma list, earning the No. 2 spot for the category of large health care organization.

Raise yourself and expect a career well cared for.
Become a Health Raiser at Northwell Health.

The Importance of a Strong Personal Brand

A personal brand is an important opportunity to showcase who you are as a potential employee in a way that authentically reflects who you are as a person. Building a strong personal brand ensures that when employers search for candidates they find much more than a name and a resume—they find you. The following tips can help you create a personal brand that sets you apart and demonstrates the unique skills you bring to the table.

8 Tips for Building a Strong Personal Brand

1. Develop a professional social media presence.
   Review your social media pages to ensure that your information is filled out, you have profile pictures selected, and your bio reflects your professional goals. Remember, every social channel provides a new opportunity to let your personality and accomplishments shine.
2. Make your LinkedIn profile work for you.
   Highlight your industry skills, add recommendations and endorsements from peers, and quantify your accomplishments.
3. Become a thought leader on your social feed.
   Start a dialogue by curating news articles and other relevant content to share with your network to help position you as an expert in your field.
4. Connect with fellow professionals and peers.
   Join Facebook groups, comment on posts you find interesting, engage meaningfully and professionally. Get started by joining Northwell’s Talent Community for news and events tied to your industry.
5. Prepare an elevator pitch.
   Can you give a quick synopsis of your background and experience? Your elevator pitch is a great way to share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don’t know you.
6. Keep all of your information up to date.
   Your online information may be the first impression a recruiter or manager has of your career history. Regularly check your resume and profiles to ensure your latest accomplishments and contact information are reflected.
7. Stay up-to-date in your industry.
   Follow prominent and inspiring figures in your industry to not only stay updated on news and industry information but to network with others who may be sharing, posting, or commenting in your industry.
8. Your personal brand isn’t just an online persona.
   Make sure your brand is present at offline events, in the workplace, and throughout your day-to-day responsibilities.

Once you’ve built a strong personal brand, you’ll be prepared to put your best foot forward with any and all potential employers. And if you’re looking for a career well cared for, explore our opportunities at Northwell Health. Apply today!

Helping our new hires get ready for their Northwell career journey

At Northwell Health, we strive to provide the best experience for our incoming team members to ensure they are fully prepared to start and experience a career well cared for.

Our pre-boarding and onboarding teams in the Talent Acquisition Department support our new hires from the moment they accept a job offer through their first day. They aim to provide a smooth transition from candidate to team member with guidance along the way.

Steps these teams help our future team members complete include:

• Health and pre-hire appointments for medical clearance and required onboarding paperwork
• A visit to security and human resources for certain requirements and an ID badge, as well as other verification processes
• Preparing for our Beginnings orientation to help our newest team members be set up for success in their new career with us.

There is a great deal of coordination to ensure everyone is ready to begin in their new role at the right time.

Meet some of our amazing team members from our pre-boarding and onboarding teams :

Deziree Brandi, Supervisor, Talent Acquisition

Deziree has grown into her career at Northwell since starting as an admin support associate with FlexStaff in 2018. As a supervisor for talent acquisition in Human Resources, she supports the talent acquisition onboarding team by providing guidance for various projects and processes, ensuring that start dates are met, and helping to integrate new technology. “I always love working hand-in-hand with the candidates to provide them with the support and understanding of what is needed to start their new positions and future with Northwell,” says Deziree.

Deziree has also been able to grow her career at Northwell. “My previous and current managers have supported my growth by providing me with the tools and guidance to take on stretch assignments, develop professionally, and to build my confidence so I was ready to move into the next stage of my career,” says Deziree.

Aaron Weeks, Associate Talent Acquisition Program Manager

As a talent acquisition associate program manager for the Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) team, Aaron helps facilitate a smooth and efficient onboarding experience for new ACP hires by partnering with medical staff services, hiring managers, and organizational leadership.  “Interacting with the new hires is my favorite part,” says Aaron “I’m passionate about the customer service I provide, and I love making a difference in someone’s life no matter how big or small.”

Aaron has also grown his career here at Northwell. “Northwell has been impactful to my growth and development in many ways,” says Aaron. “My colleagues and leaders played the biggest role in my growth and development because they challenge me to be my best daily.”

Jeniece Devita, Talent Acquisition Representative

As a talent acquisition representative, Jeniece’s role is ensuring new hires are prepared for their appointments and verifying work experience, education, and credentials. Once the new hires have completed all of their requirements, she ensures they are set up for Beginnings, which is our new hire orientation, site orientation and any additional trainings required for her new team member journey. “There are many things I enjoy about working in onboarding,” says Jeniece. “I’m someone who likes to understand how what I’m doing fits into the bigger picture. It’s one of the things I find rewarding in my role. I can see how the work we do as HR professionals enables employees and the overall organization to reach their objectives.”

Join the Talent Acquisition team and become a Health Raiser.

Recognizing our skilled nursing facility team members

As National Skilled Nursing Care Week is approaching, Northwell Health would like to recognize the dedicated and compassionate care of our skilled nursing care facilities. Our skilled nurses and certified nurse assistants provide the highest quality care to patients requiring both long-term and short-term care.

Meet some of our team members from the Orzac Center for Rehabilitation:

Alice Caressimo, Registered Nurse

As a registered nurse, Alice’s role is to educate her patients and their families about her patient’s health and help discuss their plan of care. “My work experience with Orzac has been very rewarding,” says Alice. “The compassion and support from the nursing managers and nursing staff I feel is what makes us a great team and contributes to the excellent care we strive to provide.”

Courtney Caldero, Registered Nurse

Working as a registered nurse at Orzac, Courtney not only takes care of rehab patients but she is also a long-term care and hospice nurse. Her daily responsibilities involve wound care, pain management, patient and family advocacy, safe medication administration, and patient safety. She is a proud nurse who loves her job and finds it very rewarding. “You are more than just a nurse,” says Courtney. “You are your patient’s and their family’s sense of comfort–their educator and ears. The profession is not easy by any means but being able to assist and support people through what is the most difficult time of their life is what’s beyond rewarding.”

Nina Bianco, Registered Nurse

As a registered nurse, Nina believes her patient’s physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing is priority. She performs an age-specific plan of care based on the individual needs of each patient. Within her first year working as a new nurse during a global pandemic, Nina was supported by her team through every step. “Working together as a team and effective communication are the essentials for providing quality health care and safety.”

Donna Douglas, Certified Nurse Assistant

As a certified nurse assistant, Donna’s role is to provide the patient with the most dignifying care, and assist with their Activities of Daily Living to help them feel strong and confident enough to return to their community. “Working in my facility is extremely rewarding because I gain new perspective on aging. I also get an opportunity to interact with patients daily during a difficult time in their lives when they are away from their family and in a new environment,” says Donna. “I try my best every day to make this tough experience as easy and rewarding for the patient as I can.”

Andrea McDonald, Certified Nurse Assistant

Working as a certified nurse assistant, Andrea provides compassionate care to her patients. Her responsibilities include direct patient care and putting a smile on their face! Her favorite thing about her job is her team who go the extra mile for their patients. “I find working at my facility rewarding because my team is pleasant and competent and I have professional, caring managers,” says Donna.

Join the Orzac Center for Rehabilitation team today.

An Appointment With: Dr. Jennifer Mieres, Senior Vice President, Center for Equity of Care

Jennifer Mieres, MD, FACC, MASNC, FAHA, started her career as a physician at Northwell Health. After a short time away, she returned to the health system in 2010 to establish the office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Literacy. In 2012, she assumed oversight for the Katz Institute for Women’s Health before establishing and leading the Center for Equity of Care (CEC).

Today Dr. Mieres is the senior vice president of the Center for Equity of Care and the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Northwell Health. In addition to her Northwell responsibilities, she is also a professor of Cardiology and associate dean of Faculty Affairs at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell..

We spoke with Dr. Mieres to discuss Northwell’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and the work of the Center for Equity of Care.

What does your role as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer entail?

As chief diversity and inclusion officer, my mission is to identify gaps resulting from disparities in healthcare and establish evidence-based strategies for eliminating them across our communities. For the past 10 years, I have spent most of my time on the design and implementation of programs dedicated to diversity, cultural and linguistic competency, health literacy, and the expanded model for women’s health with the Katz Institute for Women’s Health . Across the organization we have established several strategic partners to help advance our diversity , equity and inclusion agenda forward.

What role does the Center for Equity of Care play within Northwell Health?

Since being established in 2017, our mission has been to advance the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate health care in partnership with our communities with the goal of achieving health equity.

Northwell has taken a comprehensive approach to addressing healthcare disparities by making diversity, inclusion and health equity a priority in all areas. CEC serves as a resource for the health system and communities, focusing on diversity and inclusion, women’s health, health literacy, education, cultural and linguistic competency, community partnership and appropriate community-and gender-based research initiatives. The CEC defines diversity as the mosaic of people who bring a variety of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, values and beliefs as assets to the workplace. At Northwell, we believe that every team member deserves to feel welcomed, respected and supported, and that differences should be acknowledged and embraced.

You founded and oversee Northwell’s Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs). Why is this program so important?

The Center of Equity of Care founded BERGs in 2013 and they have been instrumental in advancing an inclusive culture at Northwell. The BERGs program was established to enhance employee engagement, innovation, talent development, and promote an inclusive culture ensuring the delivery of culturally sensitive, quality patient care. Our BERGs are integral to fulfilling our mission, serve an important role in building a diverse pipeline of talent at all levels and sustaining trusted partnerships with the communities we serve.

During the past year, how has the Center for Equity of Care team helped to foster an inclusive environment at Northwell and within our communities?

The foundation built by the CEC contributed to Northwell’s rapid response to addressing the health disparities unveiled by COVID-19. With the newly established Office of Community and Population Health lead by Dr. Debbie Salas – Lopez, a Health Equity task force was established with the faith-based organizations and community members in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island with a focus on testing and vaccinating members of underserved communities and vulnerable populations served by Northwell.

During this challenging year, our clinical leadership has also created initiatives in response to racial injustice. Recognizing the connections between racism and mental health, Northwell’s behavioral health services works to empower employees to become active participants in dismantling racist structures that contribute to inequity and injustice.

Other anti-racism efforts include roundtable discussions with team members, inclusive leadership training, a Grand Rounds series on health equity, diversity and inclusion, and a Psychology Diversity Training Council. The Department of Medicine also established a Racial Equity Task Force to bring awareness of structural racism within health care and develop anti-racism initiatives and strategies.

What are some of the initiatives your team has planned for 2021?

Overall, we are aiming to advance the link with quality and equity, address healthcare delivery disparities, expanding cultural competency education for the Northwell workforce and to amplify and expand our community partnerships. Working with the Health Equity Task Force, we will continue to invest and partner with our vulnerable and underserved communities.

Additionally, a priority is to foster a culturally responsive workforce to support the mission of the health system. We are evolving Northwell’s Inclusion Academy in alignment with our Center of Learning & Innovation to build team member skill, knowledge and abilities in diversity, inclusion and health equity. We are also developing and implementing programming to build awareness of racism as a public health crisis.

How Northwell is caring for our environment with the GreenBERG

April is Earth Month and we’d like to share how our team members are making a difference in our environment by being part of our Green Business Employee Resource group (BERG).

Each year we celebrate Earth Day we reaffirm our commitment to help protect our planet and work to address climate change. Many of our team members strive throughout the year to be environmentally conscious and make positive changes through our own actions of conservation, recycling and reducing our carbon footprint.

With the impacts of climate change becoming more and more urgent, there’s never been a better time to learn about Northwell’s GreenBERG, a group of Northwell team members who are motivated to improve the environmental impact of Northwell’s operations by advancing sustainable and socially responsible efforts across the organization. Our GreenBERG members are working together to advance positive environmental actions in our communities. Being part of our GreenBERG also keeps you connected with colleagues, helps you build your professional network and be part of meaningful changes made by our organization. Here are some of the top ways they are making an impact.

They take an active role in managing Northwell’s environmental impact in the workplace and in our communities.

Northwell’s GreenBERG is a group that focuses on the environmental impact of our operations and has a real voice in making decisions on how our organization prioritizes sustainable and socially responsive initiatives in the workplace and in our communities. The GreenBERG focuses on energy and emissions; waste; climate change impacts; recycling and a sustainable supply chain.

The GreenBERG helps us achieve important environmental goals that will help ensure our future.

Among the overall goals of Northwell’s GreenBERG, they aim to enhance recycling and waste optimization, improve transportation in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint—including establishing a fleet of “green” ambulances and charging stations—and improve energy efficiency within our workplace, marketplace and the communities we serve.

A priority for 2021 is to expand GreenBERG membership and awareness of the initiatives underway. The group is incredibly proud to be partnering with our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) group and committing to important goals including reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and our electricity usage by 10% by 2027; obtaining 15% of our electricity from renewables by 2030 and increasing Northwell’s recycling volume to 25% of total waste volume by 2027. Other priorities include reducing regulated medical waste and incorporating sustainable and socially responsible products into our dietary menus.

One of the group’s most exciting plans for this year is a partnership with our Veterans and Allies: Liaisons of Reintegration (VALOR) BERG to clean and restore locations where military monuments are displayed. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative where two BERGs join together honoring our veterans with a clean environment.

Our members are proud to be part of a group that has a history of getting important work done.

Northwell has placed first in the annual Car Free Day Long Island event for the past eight years – including last year during the pandemic. And members were able to continue to honor Earth Day during the pandemic by providing team members with tips on how to reset their daily habits to be more environmentally conscious.

Northwell removes and recycles 200 tons of cardboard from our supply chain annually and has converted to using biodegradable K-Cups—we use 2.5 million a year!—across our footprint. We also have installed 44 electric vehicle charging stations across our sites and effectively preserved nearly 19,725 acres of forest land by installing high-efficiency equipment throughout our facilities.

Network with team members across Northwell.

Northwell’s GreenBERG has nearly 600 members. That means our members have the opportunity to work with hundreds of team members across the organization, develop new relationships and share the pride that comes with advancing our environmental goals.

Broaden your horizons by working toward a common goal.

Being part of the GreenBERG makes you part of a group of like-minded colleagues. You may all have different professional skill sets and responsibilities, but you are joined together to realize a common goal. The connections you make by being part of this group could lead to opportunities you may not have thought of before and help you make connections that will have benefits both personally and professionally. And it will definitely result in your own satisfaction in contributing to your organization and your community in a very positive way.

Get to know our team members behind the scenes during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week

This week Northwell Health is celebrating Medical Laboratory Professionals Week! Our Medical Laboratory professionals play a vital role within our organization by providing crucial information for detecting, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring a patient’s disease. They are our healthcare heroes behind the scenes!

Meet some of our team members:

Ryan Brenkret, Lead Cytology Technologist, Anatomic Pathology Services, Division of Cytology

Working as a lead cytology technologist, Ryan’s primary role is to screen and diagnose cytology cases using a light microscope to look mainly for cancer, infectious diseases, as well as other inflammatory conditions which people may suffer from. “My favorite thing about my career is trying to figure out what the patient has and provide a quality diagnosis, says Ryan. “We as cytologists really have the power to help the patients by providing accurate diagnoses or also by detecting a patient’s cancer in the early stage. Then they can receive the proper, life-saving treatments.”

Daisey Williams, Pathology Histology Technician, Staten Island University Hospital North

As a histology technician Daisey plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, by turning tissue samples into microscopic slides. Leadership has been a constant role model and support system for Daisey where she can voice her opinions and ideas. “My favorite part of this field is knowing that my work can provide our patients with a diagnosis and aide in their treatment and their next steps to recovery,” says Daisey.

Sean Houston, Clinical Lab Technologist, Automated Lab

As a lab technologist, Sean is responsible for running general immunoassay chemistry and drugs of abuse testing on the state-of-the-art, automated Roche line. Sean is within his first year at Northwell and he is looking forward to continuous growth within the organization and laboratory field. His favorite thing about working as a lab technologist? “I enjoy working alongside my diverse and well-skilled team!”

Christina Mikell, Medical Laboratory Technologist, Histology, Plainview Hospital

In Christina’s role, she aides in the processing of surgical tissue specimens. This is where they would chemically preserve the tissue so that they can then embed, cut, and stain representative sections on microscope slides. Within her role, she also performs specialty stains on slides that can help identify certain diseases and/or infections. As a new graduate, Christina has learned many skills within the pathology lab that will help her grow in her career. “My favorite thing about working as a lab tech in the histology department is the hands-on creative work that we get to perform every day,” says Christina. “I am able to take my technical knowledge and create something that can really be seen as beautiful.”

Michael Desimone, Histology Pathology Assistant, North Shore University Hospital

Working as a pathologist assistant, Michael partakes in high-quality patient care primarily through macroscopic evaluation, examination, and dissection of all surgical pathological specimens that come through the lab. Apart of being a pathologist assistant, Michael has enjoyed growing as an educator for pathology residents, pathologist assistant students, and medical technologist students. “We’re able to bring a pathologic process that a student once learned in a classroom and connect it with a real-life patient and specimen, with real implications for care,” says Michael. “I take a particular pride in teaching students and residents important details in macroscopic examination that make a large difference for cancer staging.”

Alexa Duque, Anatomical, Pathology Assistant, Lenox Hill Hospital

As a pathologist assistant, Alexa facilitates the diagnostic process by providing a comprehensive macroscopic examination and evaluation of all surgical pathological specimens. Alexa started her Northwell career journey two years ago and has grown into her role by supporting the lab in different areas. One example includes assisting her supervisor with process improvements which allowed her to gain new skills and insight. “I love that it is primarily hands on and that I get to appreciate the fascinating anatomy of the human body while being able to help patients behind the scenes,” says Alexa.

Roby P. Raju, Supervisor, Clinical Laboratory Operations, Center for Advanced Medicine

As a supervisor in his role, Roby oversees the day-to-day laboratory operations for his team. He ensures the laboratory maintains and follows compliance standards and regulations set by both accrediting and government agencies. “My favorite thing about being a laboratory technologist is that I am proud of the results we provide to the physicians and nurses from our laboratory,” says Roby.

Became a Health Raiser and discover a career well cared for, explore clinical laboratory careers. Apply today!

South Shore University Hospital to open new operating rooms in new Women’s Health Pavilion

Working in an operating room means being on the forefront of innovation and technology to deliver exceptional care to patients in their most vulnerable times. That’s why South Shore University Hospital (SSUH) is expanding its operating rooms and opening new areas, such as a Women’s Health Pavilion, to support patients before, during and after their surgery. It’s an exciting time to join their OR team and take advantage of new opportunities for registered nurses and surgical technologists with OR or OB/GYN experience.

With the opening of the Women’s Health Pavilion comes two new operating rooms at SSUH that will host all our OB/GYN surgeries, including robotic surgery and women’s health related surgeries such as breast surgery and plastic reconstructions. These services are supplementing the already exceptional surgical care our OR team delivers in bariatric surgery, colorectal surgery, surgical oncology and more.

The constant innovation of our surgical services also means continued growth for the OR team members at SSUH. Team members have the opportunity to take advantage of career resources from Northwell Health, such as training at our Center for Learning & Innovation or tuition reimbursement for those looking to expand their education. With support from Northwell, our OR team has the potential to do amazing things, and Nicholl Gonzalez, manager of patient care in the operating room at SSUH, is a shining example of what’s possible at Northwell.

Nicholl started her career as a certified surgical technologist at LIJ Valley Stream before becoming a registered nurse and entering our Perioperative Nurse Fellowship Program. “Northwell Health gave me the best opportunity by accepting me into the Perioperative Fellowship Program,” says Nicholl. “Even though I worked in the OR as a surgical tech prior to becoming a registered nurse, my fellowship gave me the confidence I needed as a new grad. I also love the team I work with at South Shore. The entire perioperative team always take care of each other and really know the true meaning of teamwork”

From there, Nicholl’s OR career continued to grow, being promoted to nurse manager at SSUH where she is leading the operating room team through this exciting expansion.

In addition to operating rooms, the brand-new Women’s Health Pavilion will include a new lobby entrance into our Labor & Delivery unit, new labor and postpartum rooms, and a state-of-the-art NICU.

Take a look at what these exciting new areas will look like at SSUH:

Discover a career well cared for in an organization committed to the growth and innovation of our team members and facilities. Apply to South Shore University Hospital’s OR team today!

Students explore health care careers virtually at the 2021 Spark! Challenge

Northwell Health’s Spark! Challenge: Healthcare Heroes, COVID Edition, has offered high school students an inside glimpse into health care careers each year since 2014 and this year was no different — except it was held virtually. The 2021 Spark! Challenge: Healthcare Heroes, COVID Edition, had 1,500 students from 48 schools across the tri-state area participate. The students interacted directly with Northwell team members for online educational career exploration sessions before attending a live virtual awards ceremony on April 15.

Students had the opportunity to participate in engaging, online educational sessions for 20 different healthcare career fields. One educational session, which profiled a career in Family Medicine, had students follow along with three case studies, taking patient vitals online and gaining an understanding of what goes into a strep test, as well as a COVID test. Some departments showed the proper way to put on and take off PPE.

And while fully transitioning this student event to be online, the Workforce Readiness team that hosts the Spark! Challenge saw an opportunity to make it even more impactful for students. “This year has been completely reinvented,” says Kathryn Graves, talent acquisition project manager on the Workforce Readiness team. “The word we used when planning for this year was flexibility. Whereas in the past students were limited to the one field trip they were matched to, this year students had 20 healthcare fields to choose from and learned about more than five careers each on average.”

After learning about these clinical and non-clinical professions, students chose one role to highlight, creating a poster and/or a video to celebrate the career, as well as to display what they’ve learned. Projects were then reviewed by Northwell judges and the winners were awarded a prize during the virtual awards ceremony.

During the virtual ceremony, students were able to view welcome messages from Northwell’s executive leadership, view and vote for their peers’ videos and posters, and attend a careers exhibit. This exhibit allowed students to learn about areas such as family medicine, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, surgical careers, the Institute for Nursing, and Northwell’s Center for Learning and Innovation. Students even had the opportunity to meet our therapy dog Hazel over video.

After a full morning of interactive events, it was time for the highlight of the day: announcing the winners! Congratulations to the winners below and be sure to check out their amazing posters from this year’s event.

2021 Spark! Challenge Winners:

• Overall Poster Award – First Place: Valley Stream North High School
• Overall Poster Award – Second Place: John Bowne High School
• Overall Poster Award – Third Place: Hampton Bays High School
• Overall Video Award – First Place: Baldwin High School
• Overall Video Award – Second Place: Valley Stream North High School
• Overall Video Award – Third Place: William Floyd High School
• Overall Video Award – Honorable Mention: Sacred Heart Academy
• Rookie Award: East Rockaway High School
• Behind the Scene Heroes – Poster Award: Thomas A. Edison CTE High School
• Clinical & Non-Clinical Professional Heroes – Poster Award: Baldwin High School
• Frontline Heroes – NP, PA, & Family Medicine – Poster Award: Lindenhurst Sr. High School
• Frontline Heroes – Emergency Medicine – Poster Award: Thomas A. Edison CTE High School
• Employee/Facebook Favorite: Herricks High School & Kellenberg High School
• Student Favorite:  Video: Tottenville High School & Poster: Lindenhurst High School

Connecting COVID patients to their families with the support of the community

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maureen Hayes, an ICU registered nurse at South Shore University Hospital (SSUH), proposed a brilliant idea of knitting pairs of hearts for COVID patients and their families. One of the hearts would be given to a patient and the other to a family member, allowing them to feel connected although they are apart. She brought the idea to nursing leadership who thought her idea embodied Northwell’s value of being Truly Compassionate and was excited to see it come to life. This was the beginning of the Connected Hearts Project.

The support of our community and teamwork

Both Maureen and her assistant manager, Andrea Freudenberg, were excited about the Connected Hearts Project but needed help getting started. That’s when Andrea reached out to the community for help in creating as many “connected hearts” as possible. Andrea was already a member of the Facebook group ‘The Islip’s Feed Southside Hospital Employees’ and during the height of COVID, their members donated money and ordered from local restaurants to help feed the staff  at South Shore University Hospital, formally known as Southside Hospital. She knew this group would be more than willing to lend a hand with this effort.

The response was overwhelming. The outpouring of love and a united community was incredible. Once the hearts began to pour in, the team members in the ICU were able to distribute them.

“Since its launch in April 2020, our Connected Hearts Project has taken on a life of its own,” says Andrea. The Connected Hearts Group at SSUH has monthly meetings with ICU nurses who continue to come up with ideas to support and comfort their patients. This group not only distributes hearts to COVID patients and families but also to other families who are unable to see their loved ones.

The Connected Hearts Project is still new, but it has created a positive impact on our community, patients, families, and our team members. Members of the Facebook group have commented: “It helped me to feel useful during tough times” and “I was happy to be a part of this project.” SSUH team members have also commented that they love having the ability to provide family with a connection to their loved ones.

At Northwell Health, we’re dedicated to supporting team members’ interests above and beyond their day-to-day responsibilities. It allows team members to be creative while delivering compassionate care to their patients and partnering with the community.

Raise Health in our communities where we live, love and work. Apply today!