Creating a new form of patient advocacy at Northwell Health
November 2020
At Northwell Health, we have the perfect career for everyone. Just ask Susan Marelli, executive program director in System Administration.
Starting her career more than 20 years ago, Susan had never imagined herself pursuing a healthcare career. That is until her mother, who was receiving treatment at the time, had noted what a nice place it seemed to work as they sat in North Shore University together. At the time, Susan believed healthcare careers were limited to just nurses and doctors and never thought her background in administration would create opportunities for her. However, with her mother’s encouragement Susan applied and it was that exact skillset that made her a perfect fit for her first role of executive associate to Michael Dowling, Northwell’s President and CEO.
Working as an executive associate, Susan began to find herself becoming an unofficial patient ambassador. She would receive phone calls from trustees, executives from other businesses, team members, and patients looking for assistance. They would call her not knowing who else to reach out to and Susan would listen to their challenges. With no guidebook for this role, she took it upon herself to make calls and figure out the best person in the system might be able to help them.
“Whenever I wasn’t busy with my responsibilities, I was on the phone helping people. Mr. Dowling would hear this from inside his office and one day he asked me, ‘would you like to do this for me full time?’” says Susan. “There’s such an emphasis in our organization to put patients first, and Mr. Dowling wanted me to have the opportunity to work exclusively on helping those who needed it.”
Now as executive program director, Susan uses Northwell’s network of team members to help support her patient advocacy work. In addition to speaking with patients and their family members on the phone, Susan visits them at the hospitals and helps them feel connected to the health system. She loves being able to meet new people on these visits, and that includes not just our patients but her colleagues as well.
“The only way I’m able to do my job is because of the wonderful teams that are in every office and every hospital,” says Susan. “Because of them, I’ve never had to tell someone ‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you.’ They are always willing to go the extra mile and together we are able to find a solution.”
Along with the assistance of clinical teams, Susan has worked closely with the patient and family relations teams across our system to make a difference in so many lives. It’s an emotionally rewarding role, and she cherishes the letters and thank you cards she’s received from patients and families. “It’s always so unexpected because the doctors, nurses, and everyone else in our facilities are the ones who deserve that. Without them no care is being delivered. I’m just the one making the connections.”
But it’s that connection to patients, families, and team members alike that has helped Susan’s work as a patient ambassador truly shine. Every day she helps to reinvent the patient experience, and it’s her compassion that brought her recognition with an award in patient excellence from the health system.
Discover a career well cared for at Northwell Health. Apply today!
Serving as a leader in the U.S. Marine Corps and at Northwell Health
November 2020
Sean Christensen’s 20 years of honorable service in the U.S. Marine Corps developed him into the leader he is today as manager of Distribution Operations at Northwell Health’s Core Lab in New Hyde Park. In his role, Sean manages a team across two separate warehouse locations and is responsible for planning and implementing process and quality improvements, process redesign, benchmarking, and educating teams on the distribution operations process.
Retiring as a Captain from the Marine Corps in 2017, Sean held many roles throughout his service, including Mortarman, Rifleman, Infantry Platoon Sergeant, Infantry Instructor, and Logistics Officer. Once he retired, Sean still felt the call to protect and serve people and he knew pursuing a healthcare career was the perfect opportunity for him to continue to better serve society. “I needed a job that allowed me to feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself and to give me a purpose, just like the Marine Corps had provided me,” says Sean. “Working in the healthcare industry provides me with the opportunity to continue to serve my local community.”
And serving in the military developed skills in Sean that made a career in healthcare the perfect next step. While he gained knowledge in planning and logistical operations in the Marine Corps that he utilizes now, Sean believes the leadership skills he gained are even more valuable. “Being able to work and lead a diverse group of people in any environment is the most sought out skill in any industry,” says Sean. “You can always learn the specifics of a job or role over time, but an individual who has leadership experience with various group sizes and cultures helps bring their team to the next level.”
Sean also feels he benefitted greatly from training with other militaries and interacting with citizens from around the world, having been deployed to over 20 countries, whether it was during peacetime, war, or for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It’s an experience that he likens to being able to work as one of Northwell’s healthcare heroes. “They would look to our country and our military to help provide safety and relief whenever they are in a time of need,” says Sean. “Just as those who reside in the U.S. look to our first responders and hospitals to do the same for them when they need help.”
Now at Northwell, Sean has found a new team where he loves working among a group where everyone has a deep desire for continually improving how we provide services to customers and patients. Since Sean’s started, his team has restructured their receiving process and are currently restructuring their shelving system to better utilize the space available for storage of their more than 1,100 inventory line items. Along with implementing a new inventory system, they are continually changing and improving current processes to ensure the most efficient and effective workplace for the whole team. Sean feels that working at Northwell provides a collaborative environment where everyone’s voice can be heard as we all strive to better our organization.
“I would definitely recommend other veterans look to Northwell for their next career as this is a great place to grow your career and meet your professional goals,” says Sean. “Northwell looks out for their employees and is a very welcoming place to work for all.”
Find your next mission at Northwell Health. Learn about our commitment to veterans.
Growth through career conversations at Northwell Health
November 2020
As one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For®, Northwell Health is invested in our team members’ development and their career experience is of the utmost importance. With opportunities across our organization, Northwell implemented the GROW (Goals, Reflect, Opportunities, Will) model as a guide for important career conversations among team members and leaders to set goals, reflect on the career journey, explore opportunities, and how to get there.
We have a saying at Northwell that careers are well cared for and the GROW model truly supports our commitment in ensuring that the career aspirations of our team members are a part of their journey with us. Michael Dowling, Northwell President and CEO says, “We put our patients first, but to do that we need to take care of our employees and ensure a workplace that’s safe, life-affirming and team-oriented. Everyone at Northwell is connected by the common bond of service to our community.” Our commitment to the team member experience and alignment with their career aspirations is critical to our culture of innovation, and essential to ongoing efforts to create an environment where everyone feels welcomed, heard, and valued for their contributions.
Each member of the Northwell team is unique which means growth has a different meaning for every one of us based on our individual career interests and lifestyles. In order to celebrate these different strengths and goals, Northwell set out to create ways to support the personal and professional growth of our team.
Developing career paths with the GROW Model
The GROW model is what we use to guide career conversations and help leaders and team members collaborate on actionable, purposeful, and developmental plans aligned with their interests and available opportunities. This model shows members how to start or redirect themselves to their chosen and desired career path in one of our many career professions. It is completely customizable to meet their interests so that our team members can develop in a way that is most meaningful to them.
Careers conversations offer opportunities to strategize and develop action plans to reach certain goals and these conversations provide a structure that keeps the lines of communication open. They enable our leaders to be better career coaches and give a voice and a clear focus for our team members’ career paths.
Northwell is dedicated to helping employees achieve their goals by providing the steps and support necessary. Discover how you can GROW your career at Northwell Health.
Capturing life-changing images with Radiologic Technology
November 2020
Our imaging professionals at Northwell Health play a vital role in helping patients get the diagnosis they need to receive care. Working at imaging centers and in hospitals across Long Island, New York City, Staten Island and Westchester, Northwell team members use state-of-the-art technology to guide and support our patients through every stage of their treatment. Whether they’re capturing x-rays or ultrasounds, these are true healthcare heroes providing care to the communities in which we live, love and belong.
Meet some of our team members in radiology technology below:
Carmen Arana, CT Technologist, Northwell Health Reichert Family Imaging at Huntington
As a CT Technologist, Carmen operates a computed tomography (CT) machine which creates detailed images of internal organs, bones, soft tissue and blood vessels. “I have the unique experience of being able to provide a safe and complete diagnostic exam using state-of-the-art technology,” says Carmen. “I enjoy helping patients have the best experience possible and appreciate the thanks and smiles I am given in return.” And using her skills, Carmen even had the unique opportunity to work with The Nature Conservancy to scan samples of water from different marshes using a CT scanner, a project designed to help improve the quality of water that surrounds Long Island.
Enid Hernandez, Registered Vascular Technologist, Vascular Surgery at Lake Success
While most people associate sonograms with pregnancy, Enid is a sonogram technologist who specializes in vascular disease. Working as a vascular technologist, she captures images used to help diagnose diseases of the arteries or veins. Seeking a technology-based career where she could help people, Enid found her calling in imaging. “My favorite thing about being an RVT is the variety of different tests I get to perform on a daily basis,” says Enid. “Some days I even assist the doctor with venous ablation procedure. It’s one thing to read about these procedures in school but the actual experience of assisting in surgery is so rewarding.”
Erika Fernandez, Mammography Technologist, Reichert Imaging at Huntington
As a mammography technologist, Erika is responsible for capturing an image of the breast that helps doctors diagnose abnormalities including breast cancer. Though a mammography may only take 10-15 minutes, Erika knows the importance of greeting her patients with a confident and friendly face during an experience that may leave some patients nervous. “It is our goal to provide a warm and comfortable environment for patients while providing quality imaging, emotional support and a patient rapport,” says Erika. “Breast cancer is known as one of the most common malignancies among women. It makes me proud to know I play an important role in prevention and disease management for the women in our community.”
Jacqueline Benoit, Radiologic Technologist, Northwell’s Orthopaedic Institute at Great Neck
Working as a radiologic technologist is extremely rewarding for Jacqueline, who prides her team on being able to think outside of the box to deliver care to patients who may have unique orthopaedic conditions. As a team lead, Jacqueline aids our surgeons to diagnose fractures, bone pathology, diseases, deformities as well as providing images of organs, soft tissue, and vessels. Using her practice’s imaging machines, she is able to capture the vital images surgeons need to treat quality of life impacting issues and deliver life-saving solutions to our patients. “I take pride in my work here at Northwell, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to assist others in need,” says Jacqueline. “We are always ready for anything while trying to make our patients as comfortable as possible.”
Jamie Farina, MRI Technologist, Northwell Imaging at Great Neck
As a MRI technologist, Jamie first screens patients thoroughly to be certain it is safe for them to have an MRI. She prides herself on helping to ensure their overall experience is a smooth one. “My favorite thing about being an MRI Tech is the team that I work with,” says Jamie. “We always go the extra mile to ease our patients about whatever nerves they might be having. It’s nice to know that at the end of the day, people feel comfortable and safe coming to us. We are making a difference.”
Discover an radiology technology career well cared for at Northwell Health. Apply today!
