Pierre Mouawad’s career journey from lab technologist to lab director
February 2021
Since starting his Northwell Health career journey as a blood bank technologist at Lenox Hill Hospital (LHH) in 2009, Pierre Mouawad MBA, MT, has been able to grow tremendously within the clinical laboratory team. His growth, from technologist to lab director, is a story that continues to inspire the laboratory team members that he leads at LHH.
By 2013, Pierre was promoted to a transfusion safety officer and later became a performance improvement manager before his current title of director, all while at LHH. Pierre’s ambition and drive for growth was supported by the health system through leadership training programs at the Center for Learning and Innovation and through mentorships with several leaders and team members. And in 2017, Pierre was also able to earn his MBA with support from Northwell Health’s tuition reimbursement program.
Today as director of operations in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pierre oversees the laboratory services at LHH. The laboratory is comprised of 14 areas of specialization within Clinical Pathology, Anatomic Pathology, and Blood Bank. Pierre leads a team of 200 plus members including managers, supervisors, technologists, phlebotomists and administrative staff.
Last year, Pierre and his team were honored to be recognized on a national level with LHH being named Medical Laboratory Observer’s 2020 Lab of the Year. “This recognition made my team and me very proud of our excellent strategic outlook, culture and education, training and quality.” Pierre himself has also been recognized by Healthcare Performance Insider for his laboratory leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I love working with talented scientists and hard-working individuals who are knowledgeable professionals and want to come to work every day,” says Pierre. “The laboratory world has grown so much, and I believe that innovation and culture are the key drivers to be successful in this industry”
Pierre’s hope is that his story inspires both students and other young technologists. “My passion is to mentor students to pursue a career in the laboratory field. Seventy percent of clinical decisions are based on lab results, so laboratory professionals are essential to the healthcare industry – even more so during this pandemic with all the COVID testing,” says Pierre. “I hope to continue inspiring colleagues to grow in the field by learning and being the best versions of themselves through excellent work ethic, challenging themselves, practicing kindness, and being passionate, emotionally intelligent, and empathetic.”
Pierre’s vision is emblematic of the leadership throughout the health system. Growth opportunities similar to those in his journey are available to all employees. The support he received through learning opportunities, benefits such as tuition reimbursement, and the encouragement for sharing ideas are not unique experiences but rather the values that have made Northwell Health once again a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® and 2021 Best Health System for Diversity by DiversityInc.
Discover a career well cared for as a clinical laboratory professional at Northwell Health. Apply today!
Why our Phlebotomists love working at Northwell Health
February 2021
Phlebotomists at Northwell Health play an important role by collecting blood samples from our patients. These blood samples can help identify a patient’s diagnosis and ultimately help doctors create a treatment plan for them. In February we are celebrating National Phlebotomists Recognition Week and we are proud to recognize the hard work and compassionate care that our phlebotomists deliver every day.
Meet some of our team members and learn why they love being a phlebotomist at Northwell:
Luz Puig, Phlebotomist, Glen Cove Hospital
“My favorite thing about being a phlebotomist at Northwell is meeting patients and learning from their life experiences. I truly enjoy when they share their stories and I have a desire to make them feel comfortable and loved. During these hard times of COVID, my heart breaks to know many of the patients are alone during this process. I believe my role plays an important part in the healing of each patient as it is the start of a treatment for our community members.”
Glenna McKenzie, Phlebotomist, Syosset Hospital
“I have been a phlebotomist at Syosset Hospital for 35 years. I love being with our patients and doing my best to get their blood drawn quickly and painlessly. I love interacting with them and being able to get to know them. We understand that being ill and being in the hospital is not a high point for our patients, so I try my very best to make our patients feel better about their experience at our hospital.”
Michelle Lyn Sambajon, Lead Phlebotomist, Northwell Health Labs
“I oversee the COVID collection site for pre-procedure and pre-surgical testing. My favorite thing about working as a phlebotomist is that I enjoy being out there and helping people from their COVID test to bloodwork. Being a Phlebotomist is a rewarding opportunity to give back and help the community. It is the best feeling knowing that you’re one of the frontline team members to become a part of a person’s diagnostic treatment.”
Amanda Salerno, Mobile Phlebotomy, Northwell Health Labs and LabFly
“I provide mobile services to patients to their personal residence for bloodwork and COVID swabs. The best part of my job is making people laugh and providing compassionate care. Anything to make someone’s heart feel a little lighter when I leave makes me happy. I go into every home the same, a smile, laughter, enlightenment when needed, compassion and with comfort in the experience I provide for them. A little goes a long way.”
Maria L. Pizarro, Phlebotomist, Glen Cove Hospital
“I’ve worked at Glen Cove Hospital for 14 years as a phlebotomist. My job consists of drawing blood samples from in-patients. Patients are my priority and I really love what I do for the organization and working with my team.”
Discover a career well cared for as a phlebotomist at Northwell Health. Apply today!
SHARE THIS ENTRY
A rewarding career journey at Northwell Health
February 2021
Meet Marina Gizzi, manager of operations in the Emergency Department at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC). Starting at LIJMC as an A/R (accounts receivable) clerk, Marina didn’t just find a career opportunity here at Northwell, but a new confident outlook on her professional life.
“I always had a hard time in school, I struggled academically for many years and didn’t graduate college when all of my friends did. This affected my outlook on what the future would hold for me,” says Marina. “It wasn’t until I started working at Northwell that I was given the confidence I needed to continue pushing myself and my career goals.”
And push herself, she did. Since starting at LIJMC in 2013, Marina has gone on to earn her Bachelor of Science and Master in Business Administration, both with the help of Northwell’s tuition reimbursement program. It was something she only imagined for herself after gaining confidence in her own potential. “I have been so blessed, from day one, to be part of Northwell because I can genuinely say they have gotten me to where I am today – two degrees and now four job opportunities later. With Northwell’s wonderful tuition reimbursement program and with the support of my ED family, I learned that it’s never too late to achieve your goals.”
Marina continued to develop her skills not only through continued education but in each of her roles on her journey. Her career has grown from A/R clerk to senior secretary to admin support associate before finally becoming manager, all within the ED.
Today, Marina manages concierge, the discharge lounge, ED unit receptionists, and case management assistants among others. Additionally, Marina works with position control, our recruiters and helps manage appreciation celebrations for our team members. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marina also helped organize the influx of generous donations our community members sent to the hospital, a memory she holds as one of the most rewarding parts of her job so far.
It’s a role that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her leadership and her family – both her Northwell family and her immediate family. “My ED leadership team and mentors at LIJMC are always encouraging us to better ourselves. The message that they have instilled in me is: never settle for anything less than what you deserve,” says Marina. “The support and opportunities that this organization provides are unlike any other. I know I will continue to learn and push myself because my future at Northwell will continue to be bright.”
Find a career well cared for at Northwell Health. Apply today!
Northwell launches new Neurodiversity Virtual Mentorship Program
February 2021
At Northwell Health, we are committed to creating a workforce that is as diverse and inclusive as the communities we serve. As part of our continued advocation for individuals with disabilities, we are proud to launch a new Neurodiversity Virtual Mentorship Program for college students.
The Virtual Neurodiverse Mentoring Program, created by the Workforce Readiness Inclusion team in partnership with the Bridges to Adelphi program, provides neurodiverse college students with an opportunity to engage with Northwell leaders across the organization in different disciplines. As part of the semester-long program, the six student participants gained firsthand insight into a career within the healthcare industry as well as a better understanding of how to support our neurodiverse population within the workplace.
The knowledge and experience the students gained will be invaluable as they begin to start their career journeys after college graduation. Beyond just meeting virtually throughout the semester to gain career insight and ask advice, students were given projects to work on to develop their skills across different healthcare disciplines and areas of interest.
The program was a success with students taking full advantage of this unique opportunity to connect with Northwell leadership. “Thanks to my mentor, Patricia Ricciardi, I gained experience in a new field, met several people working in that field and learned a lot about the retirement process,” says Anitra Marley, a participant in the program. “The Northwell Mentorship Program was a valuable experience and I am honored to have been selected.”
“I found the mentorship program to be very informative and engaging in terms of helping us to prepare for a career,” agrees Laura Madtes, another student participant in the program. “My mentor, Ariel Hayes, was very helpful and kind, and she introduced me to a lot of people who offered great advice for advancing my writing and work skills. I also feel that Ms. Hayes has helped me to improve my communication skills and I’m very grateful.”
“I was able to build a personal connection to my mentor, Jon Frascati, and even had the opportunity to make news banners for the Northwell website. I never thought before I would get the chance to have something I made be put on a website,” says student participant Steven Caminero. “Overall the mentorship program is a great experience and allows both mentor and mentee to learn from each other and to work together.”
And it wasn’t just the mentees who benefitted from this program but the mentors as well. “Participating in the Neurodiversity Mentorship program was such an amazing experience and one which I will cherish for many years to come,” says Joseph Moscola, PA, senior vice president and Northwell’s chief people officer. “These students are so incredible that at times I was unsure who was who was getting more out of the conversations, the mentor or the mentee.”
“It has been an absolute honor and privilege to serve as a neurodiversity program mentor. These students are truly extraordinary,” says Joseph Schulman, senior vice president, Population Health Business Transformation. “Throughout the program they’ve shown how incredibly talented, hardworking and ambitious they are and I’m excited to hear about their many successes going forward as they begin their careers.”
At the end of the program, all mentors and mentees shared their experiences in a virtual meeting to highlight the projects they worked on throughout the mentorship program and to celebrate their work throughout the program.
