Alternative career paths nurses can explore at Northwell Health

Our extraordinary nursing team at Northwell shares a passion in caring for our patients across many different departments and specialties, whether at the bedside or another career path such as telehealth, clinical informatics or case management. Read to learn more about a few alternative career paths and how each role plays a critical part in patient care.

Telehealth Operations

For over 26 years, Kara Benneche has been caring for patients. She began her journey working as a cardiac nurse and transitioned into an emergency department role for 12 years. In 2013, she decided to go back to school to pursue her Master’s of Science in Nursing. She finished her degree through Northwell’s tuition reimbursement support while practicing as a nurse educator at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Kara advanced her career from a nurse educator to a nurse manager. Two years before applying to become the director of telehealth, Kara became interested in learning more about telehealth operations and how it could impact the future of nursing. She reached out to a Northwell telehealth clinical leader and was invited to take a tour of the TeleICU facility. That experience helped her to purse her career move as an associate vice president in telehealth operations today. In this role, she oversees a team of critical care nurses in the ICU through audio and visual equipment — allowing patients to be discharged earlier and still have access to care from the comfort of their own homes. “You never know where your journey can take you at Northwell. There are so many opportunities to explore,” Kara says, “Being able to support the bedside team virtually is truly amazing.”

Clinical Informatics

Michele Burk began her career as a nurse extern in a postpartum newborn nursery. After going back to school to continue her education, she earned her master’s degree in administration with informatics. “I fell in love with how informatics impacts clinicians and patient care by improving workflow.” She shared, “it acts as a sort of translator for our clinical team members.” Now as assistant vice president of clinical informatics, her team helps blend clinical care with technology. In her role, she develops and implements clinical information system initiatives for Inpatient Clinical Informatics (CIS) and Emergency Departments for Northwell.

Case Management

Before becoming a registered nurse in case management, Kimberly Camacho began her nursing career on the post-op surgical floor at Northern Westchester Hospital. She worked in this role for several years and later became an assistant in patient care management on the oncology floor. For Kimberly, staying in one area of nursing wasn’t enough. “If you aren’t learning, you aren’t growing. Advancing your education is one of the best things you can do for yourself to further your career.” Today as a supervisor in case management, Kimberly still utilizes Northwell’s tuition reimbursement program, previously taking advantage of this benefit to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), as she works toward a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

Clinical Call Center

As a current supervisor at Northwell’s clinical call center, Denise McEvoy-Bautz recalls a time when she began teaching at the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), while working in a per-diem nursing role at South Shore University Hospital (SSUH). After a year, she was accepted into a critical care fellowship program to work in the ICU and stroke unit at SSUH. In this role she learned about an open position at Northwell’s clinical call center, a virtual emergency room open 24/7, 365 days a year for all patients and our employees. “Being a part of the clinical call center team, I have a stronger relationship with the doctors and our nurses because I am in constant communication with them, working together to get the patient where they need to be,” she shared.

Quality Management

As an associate executive director in quality management at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH), Andrea Restifo feels that our patients and team members are the most important reason why she is successful in her role. After volunteering at a local hospital in the emergency and radiology departments, she received her BSN and began working at NSUH as a medical/surgical RN. While working, she benefitted with our tuition reimbursement program to earn her MSN before moving first into ambulatory services and then care coordination. While Andrea’s journey in nursing is uniquely her own, when asked what the most important piece of advice nurses should keep in mind when exploring and applying for any nursing role at Northwell, she says, “Knowing what you are great at is so important. Look at your skills and determine how you can use them alongside your fellow team members to care for patients.”

Clinical Professional Development

Kathleen Casler, a senior director in clinical professional development at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH), began her career in nursing as a new graduate labor and delivery nurse, a role she holds near and dear to her heart. She had the opportunity to then transition to a nurse educator role while going back to school through the support of Northwell’s tuition reimbursement program to get her master’s in nursing education. Kathleen later would become a Magnet program director, leading the charge for Magnet recognition, which is the highest nursing honor for a hospital to receive. Kathleen says, “Many nurses have a story about their career journey. Learning their stories, along with the twists and turns they experience, will help you gain greater insight into this amazing profession.”

Discover a career well cared for in nursing at Northwell Health.