Northwell Community Series: Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs)
January 2021
We’re proud to introduce our new series, Northwell Community – Connections, Careers, and Conversations. This video series features the voices of healthcare professionals as they connect, find inspiration and engage in conversation about personal and professional career growth in the diverse communities where we live, love and belong. The first installment in the series focuses on our Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs) and the members who are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Listen to these future leaders as they share how our BERGS have given them a voice so they feel empowered to be their best selves both personally and professionally. Whether they are networking, hosting meaningful discussions, or launching new mentorship programs, these dedicated team members are leveraging their skills and passion to help educate and instill a sense of equity and belonging for all—integral to the culture of Northwell Health as an organization.
An appointment with: Michael Dowling, Northwell Health President and CEO
January 2021
As the new year begins, it’s important to reflect on the lessons we learned and how we can move forward to an even better future. This is especially true this year as we transition together into a new normal of life post-COVID-19. We spoke with Northwell Health’s President and CEO, Michael Dowling, to hear his thoughts on what 2021 has in store for the health care industry.
Despite everything 2020 brought, what is the 2021 outlook?
Next year will undoubtedly be a year of transition. We will still be in the COVID world, but we should have a different attitude about it and be realistic with expectations. The first part of the year will focus on managing the situation; two situations actually.
First, COVID cases will continue to increase at this pace unless we do our part — wearing masks, social distancing and proper hand washing — to minimize the spread. We will also be managing the delivery of the vaccines.
The rollout will not be quick. It is a marathon. And when you consider that there are 70 million people working in essential jobs — teachers, day care staff, corrections officers, US postal workers and public transit workers — we may be looking at June before the vaccine is available to the general public and we start to see some sense of normalcy.
You always have an optimistic view. Will there be a new “normal”?
When I think of 2021, I think of opportunity — to reimagine what we want our lives and professions to be — not just as a result of what happened to us, but of how we reacted to it.
We can all make this change. Ask yourself, what do you want to be? How do you want it organized? What kind of structural changes will you make? What do you want to focus on?
Regardless of your answers, the key is to forget what your pre-COVID world was and focus on your future.
What will factor into advancing health care?
For health care, these areas will have most precedence in 2021.
- Enhance productivity and become more efficient: It’s tremendously awkward to say, but one of the “best” things to come out of COVID has been our ability to accelerate productivity, be more efficient and adaptable. Next year, most health systems will still be recovering from the pandemic’s financial impacts, especially the safety-net hospitals. We need to build on the lessons we have learned.
- Accelerate the digital age: COVID has changed our relationships with technology. Ninety-percent of the meetings I have today are through Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The amazing thing is most of us had never used Zoom before COVID. And the convenience offered by telemedicine and virtual care has improved our customer focus and quality. This will be a big arm of care delivery from now on.
- Identify what quality means and seek it: It’s time to reassess. Health care delivery is going to be different. If you talk to providers, they will equate quality primarily with clinical outcomes. But for consumers, it’s service and convenience. There needs to be a balance.
- Accommodate the remote workforce: Speaking of technology, I believe 10-15 percent of our workforce will be remote, even after COVID. A large portion already is right now. I did not expect this months ago. The main issue will be to decide what part of your workforce should be remote, as well as identify ways to manage and monitor it. What does a remote workforce do to your real estate? You have to look at everything. At Northwell, we manage buildings that accommodated thousands of people and they are now mostly empty with team members working at home. It’s a big part of our assessment process for the post-pandemic situation.
- Culturally, become as innovative as we were pre-COVID: Moving forward, we need to incentivize the innovative DNA within our organizations that was obvious during COVID. Do not lose steam and maintain a positive, team-oriented culture, which is very important in the midst of all this change, especially as we go remote. We can’t lose that perspective. A hybrid of in-person and remote can lend itself to much-needed balance.
- Deal with inequities of care: We must go upstream. New partnerships are changing the way we operate. And our expanded focus on healing our most vulnerable communities will continue in 2021, and well beyond. We need to get our employees, doctors and other team members to commit to this agenda, then develop long-term reasonable strategies.
What’s in store for health care as a profession?
When I think of 2021, I think of opportunity — to reimagine what we want our lives and professions to be — not just as a result of what happened to us, but of how we reacted to it.
Doctors, nurses, environmental services, respiratory therapists, security workers and all healthcare heroes were celebrated for working the front lines. Their sacrifices, dedication and compassion are truly what makes them remarkable as individuals, as well as the work they do. I’m very proud of all of them.
Building off of that momentum, this remains an exciting time to join health care, especially at Northwell Health, where we were recently ranked No. 65 on Glassdoor’s 100 best places to work list (Northwell is also one of Fortune‘s 100 Best Companies to Work For). Our team members are engaged and eager to help lead us out of this crisis.
Child care benefit programs support Northwell Health team members
January 2021
Northwell Health is committed to our 74,000+ team members, creating careers well cared for that help them flourish professionally and also personally. Part of that commitment is providing a diverse selection of benefit programs that help our team members have a rewarding balance of workplace development goals and personal ones at home.
Child care programs are one of the benefits that Northwell offers to help support our team members as their families grow alongside their careers. “The COVID-19 pandemic really changed the way we look at child care,” says Diana Witkowski-Grubard, director of Benefits in Human Resources. “When schools began to close, we knew we had to change our vision. If schools are closed and our team members don’t have anyone to care for their children, then we’re not able to do what we do best – serving our communities.”
The Benefits team worked to develop new partnerships and programs that would support our team members during this unprecedented time. “Our focus shifted as we saw how vital child care services are and we knew we needed to help, whether through offering reimbursement or partnering with nationally recognized learning groups that can help support our team members.”
And these partnerships and programs are continuing to evolve through team member feedback from surveys that help us to continue to see what benefits might be necessary and get a better understanding of what benefits they want and need.
Learn about some of our child care benefit programs:
Back-Up Care Program: Through our partnership with Bright Horizons, eligible team members have access to 10 center-based or in-home, back-up care for child and elders in instances where a team member’s traditional care routine falls through, such as school closings, caregiver vacation or illness, unexpected shift cover, and business travel.
Subsidized Child Care: With a new partnership with the Learning Care Group, Northwell is now able to offer eligible team members 10 days per month of subsidized, in-person child care for the 2020-2021 school year. This child care is available within the areas our team members live and work for children up to 12 years old. In addition, Northwell has partnered with various YMCA locations throughout long island to offer similar subsidized child care services.
Crisis Care Reimbursement: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic created a need for a new program within Northwell. Northwell has partnered with PayFlex to administer our COVID-19 crisis care reimbursement program to team members. Eligible team members receive daily reimbursement per child for up to 10 days during per eligible month for expenses incurred for childcare expenses.
Discounts: Northwell offers various discounts to summer camps throughout the New York region. We offer discounts to more than 10 summer programs/camps to help team members.
Find a career well cared for at Northwell Health. Apply today!
The Integrated Distribution Center makes an impact at Northwell Health during the COVID-19 pandemic
January 2021
Northwell Health’s Integrated Distribution Center (IDC) located in Bethpage, NY serves a vital role within the organization, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The distribution center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, stocks nearly 3,000 unique medical supplies- including personal protective equipment (PPE) and delivers them to 23 Northwell hospitals. It has more than 100 team members who work above and beyond to gather, pack and ship supplies all year round.
Before the pandemic, the center would stock 20 to 30 days’ worth of medical supplies. But with the increase demand of supplies and PPE, the center stocks 90 to 120 days of supplies to prevent any shortages. From the very beginning of the pandemic to now, our hospitals and employees are fully provided with PPE from the distribution center to ensure their safety and that of our patients and community. And now, with the vaccine being administered, the distribution center holds millions of syringes as well.
“Throughout this pandemic, there has been many heartfelt accounts of patients leaving Northwell hospitals with team members cheering and clapping – celebrating Northwell patients’ quick recoveries,” says Paul Spodek, assistant vice president of the Supply Chain Distribution & Logistics Integrated Distribution Center. “When we step back and look at those happy pictures and videos, we notice the isolation gowns, N95s, ear loop masks, etc., all worn by patients and hospital staff alike, every IDC associate knows that all those supplies came from us.”
Each role within the distribution center is unique and valuable to our organization. Our team members all make a difference whether they work the inbound shift where they receive materials and stock shelves to the outbound shifts who picks, packs and load trucks. The IDC also has a support staff who orders and counts supplies and returns, makes sure the distribution center does not run out of materials and manages inventory expiration dates and recalls- they make a difference. “Every IDC team member feels the connection of their role in quality patient care in every Northwell hospital. This connection is the reason why more than 100 team members at IDC have come to work every day during this pandemic and continue to feel great pride in our role in quality patient care,” says Paul. The IDC also creating a better environment for our community. They remove most cardboard and send it to recycle before shipping to our hospitals. The distribution center is on target to recycle more than 220 tons of cardboard in 2020.
The impact and work that our center has on our healthcare heroes and patients is incredible. “As a distribution center associate, and being part of the supply chain, it is a privilege to be helping our doctors, nurses, and the rest of our Northwell heroes by supplying them all the PPE and equipment’ they need to help fight this deadly pandemic,” says Ildebrano Molina.
The teamwork, hard work and dedication of the distribution center showcases the importance of Northwell values. “My entire career has revolved around logistics and distribution but what makes working for Northwell Health`s Distribution Center different is the sense of teamwork and knowing that I am doing something positive for the community that I live in,” says Daniel Pauly, operations manager at the Integrated Distribution Center. “Especially throughout the pandemic, I felt a strong sense of pride and satisfaction knowing that my contribution aided thousands of individuals.”
We are proud of the work that the distribution center has done and continuing to do for our organization and patients.
Discover a career well cared for at Northwell Health. Apply today!
