From administrative support to operations leader and Health Raiser – Meet Elizabeth Austin

Elizabeth Austin began her career journey at Northwell Health a little over 11 years ago as an administrative support associate at an ambulatory site. What attracted her most to Northwell was her interest in the healthcare field from a young age. “Growing up, I often went to work with my mother who was a registered nurse director, so I got to see the fast-paced environment of a healthcare facility and knew I wanted to be a part of it someday.”

Elizabeth gained valuable experience as an administrative support associate in managing office operations, working directly with senior leadership, and coordinating projects. After two and a half years in that position, Elizabeth made the move within the organization to join Northwell’s joint venture operations team. Joint ventures leads and executes strategies and activities managed in partnership with other organizations to advance Northwell’s strategy. As a project coordinator, she was responsible for managing the vice president’s calendar and day-to-day activities. From there, Elizabeth grew from a project coordinator to project manager, then senior project manager to director over the course of seven years. “Northwell has given me multiple opportunities to learn and grow with the joint venture operations team to get me where I am today.”

In her current role, Elizabeth is the senior director of operations for the joint venture team where she has day-to-day oversight for five ambulatory surgery centers in Suffolk County, New York. Not only does she work closely with site leadership at each surgery center to ensure smooth and effective operations, Elizabeth also collaborates with physicians and various teams within Northwell to develop and implement strategic initiatives.

Elizabeth credits her success to the support she’s received from her senior management team and being in the room with the right people over the course of her career. “Growing your network is critical. Every interaction with your colleagues, no matter how big or small — or title – is equally important. Starting as an administrative support associate, I recognize how imperative each role is within the organization.” When asked what aspect of her job at Northwell she loved most, Elizabeth replied. “Understanding the perioperative space and how that translates to patient care and surgery experience is impactful. Every day is different, and I am always ready to tackle the next hurdle of the day.”

Become a Health Raiser and get your start in healthcare in administrative support at Northwell Health.