Announcing our new Advanced Clinical Provider Mentorship Program
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In early 2020, Northwell Health launched its first Advanced Clinical Provider (ACP) Mentorship Program cohort. This one-year structured elective program is for new hire nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
The first cohort consisted of 20 mentors and mentees from both in-patient and ambulatory practice environments. The ACPs in the program will develop clinical and non-clinical skills essential to a successful career in healthcare management.
The program aims to enhance the skills development process during the onboarding period for nurse practitioners and physician assistants by emphasizing organization and self awareness. It also aims to bring value to the organization through continuous employee engagement, retention and recruitment of top ACP talent.
As part of our goal to identify and address non-clinical and clinical knowledge gaps for new hire ACPs, reciprocal partnerships will be created with a focus on developing a support system for ACP employees, especially outside their specialty and site. It will also include a focus on transition to practice so ACPs know how and when to advocate for themselves, increasing their autonomy in our health system.
Why I’m Made for an ultrasound technologist career at Northwell
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Written by: Gennifer Albaum
Working at the front desk for a radiologist at a young age, I quickly realized I had a passion for interacting with patients. With the encouragement of my team, I decided to became an ultrasound technologist and have worked at Northwell Health for nearly two years.
People assume radiology is just someone taking pictures and that’s all. It’s much more than that. It’s scanning a women who just had an abnormal mammogram and is getting a second look. It’s having a patient come in with stroke like symptoms who just a few hours ago could walk and talk but now has no motor function. It’s the parents of a child who is sick with a cold. It’s scanning a cancer survivor to see if their cancer has come back. It’s dealing with the patient’s pain, worry and sadness, and still providing care that helps make them forget about their fears for a moment. Because as an ultrasound technologist, we’re taking images that will help patients get the answers.
Knowing a visit to an Imaging Center can be a stressful time for patients, I try to ease their anxiety and keep them calm during their visit especially when they are looking to me for results and I have to politely explain that their images need to be interpreted by a radiologist. As a radiology professional I know that can be trying for the patient but we want to ensure we have reviewed all images thoroughly before providing results.
I was introduced to women’s imaging, especially breast imagining early in my career and quickly found that I had a passion for early diagnosis of breast cancer. Some of my fondest memories as an ultrasound technologist are when breast cancer survivors returned to visit us at the practice. To see her smile when she saw her face and knowing I was part of delivering her care was so rewarding. I know that what I do made a difference in not just her life but her kids and her family. It makes me feel so proud of my hard work and dedication.
Early detection saves lives and knowing that I can play a part in helping to save a life, is why I chose to become an ultrasound technologist. Working for Northwell has been a life-changing experience, I have met so many amazing technologists, radiologists and administrators. I truly feel like this is where I was meant to be.
Are you Made for a radiology career like Gennifer’s? Apply to an open position today!
Meet Truly Ambitious Physician Assistant, Christopher Anderson
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This post is part of a blog series highlighting Northwell Health’s Advanced Clinical Providers (ACP). Each Northwell Health employee was nominated by their manager as an individual who exemplifies a Northwell Health value.
This month, we’re proud to introduce you to the Truly Ambitious Christopher Anderson. Chris’s journey at Northwell began in 2013 when he joined Southside Hospital in his first leadership role as a supervising PA for the Acute Care Surgery Team. Chris then moved to the role of assistant director for PA Services. Today, you’ll find him making a true impact in his current role at Lenox Hill Hospital as the senior administrative director of PA Services.
Recently, Chris represented his profession, and Northwell, as a speaker at the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Executive Leadership Conference. His lecture titled, “NP/PA and Physician Leadership Team: It Takes Two to Tango,” addressed fostering the partnership of caregivers across the clinical team. “Physicians have been a large part of my clinical and administrative career growth, and their experiences and mentorship are pivotal in anyone’s growth,” he says. “All clinical team members must remain partners, as the synergistic nature to these interdisciplinary teams is key for high-quality patient care.”
Beyond presenting opportunities, Chris is excited about Northwell’s ACP training and fellowship programs where PAs and NPs are educated and mentored to help them take the next step in their career toward a specific specialty. At Northwell, he feels that “opportunities are endless and, most importantly, fully supported. It’s creating growth of the PA profession and for those looking to transform their careers into any direction they choose in healthcare.”
It’s programs like these that give Chris a great appreciation for Northwell’s emphasis on professional development and career growth: “The opportunities, mentorship, and leadership development programs offered are like no other place that I have worked before. Northwell strives to be a leader and the actions they demonstrate on the development of employees have proven results. I’ve been able to take classes on leadership and six sigma at Northwell’s Center for Learning and Innovation. They also afforded me the opportunity to obtain an advanced degree (MBA) with tuition reimbursement assistance.”
Faces of Oncology Care: Clinical Laboratory
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Clinical laboratories, like those you’ll find at Monter Cancer Center and our Imbert Cancer Center, serve a crucial role in the assessment and treatment of oncology patients. Our laboratories work together to deliver precise, accurate test results to ensure patients get the right treatment.
Meet some of the members of our oncology clinical laboratory team who are making a difference at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute, where we provide cancer care to more New Yorkers than any other healthcare provider.
La Donna’s decade of lab experience has provided a lot of insight into how a laboratory technologist can work collaboratively with the entire care team. Her peers and colleagues at Northwell share a remarkable commitment to excellence in patient care and patient experience.
La Donna was initially drawn to oncology lab work because of the pace and the emphasis on accuracy and precision. And at Northwell, she’s convinced that our commitment to emerging diagnostic technologies will keep her skills sharp while allowing her to actually contribute to the innovation taking place.
However, the greatest reward for La Donna is her sense of fulfillment and impact on the lives of others: “Your work makes a remarkable difference in patient care for one of the most vulnerable patient populations. Even though lab technologists are mostly unseen, I know that I’m a big part of each patient’s visit.”
Yolanda came to Northwell with more than two decades of lab technology experience. She was drawn to the Hematology/Oncology Department at Monter Cancer Center because she was attracted to the commitment and excellence that the department provides.
Delivering results for patients in oncology lab requires speed, precision and accuracy. “Workflow starts with the lab results. Without the baseline results, doctors cannot diagnose; pharmacists cannot prepare the dose for chemo treatment; nurses will be awaiting instructions; and patient treatments will be delayed.”
Innovation is key to deliver the best quality of care and Yolanda believes that Monter’s newly acquired automated analyzers expedite testing times and lead to fast results for patients. It’s a perfect match between resources and culture. “It’s fulfilling when a patient’s lab result shows progress after receiving treatments. It gives such satisfaction knowing that I’m a part of their healing process while working behind the scenes.”
Since she joined Northwell Health in June 2017, Esperanza has found countless opportunities to pursue her career interests and focus on the science of the human disease processes. This passion drew her to the medical laboratory technologist role and has fueled her appreciation of the challenges she experiences at the Imbert Cancer Center.
Here her knowledge, skill sets and love of the science fit right in with Imbert’s unique mission and culture. “I love it here. It’s caring, professional, relaxing and great a place to come daily. The contribution each one of us makes creates a mountain of knowledge and significant difference impacting the care and treatment of patients.”
As the lead technologist within her department, Esperanza also mentors staff and collaborates with team members throughout the system. “Every day renews my professional commitment and intense compassion for our patients in support of an extremely caring and innovative, institution of Northwell Health.”
Peter joined Northwell in December 2016 at Long Island Jewish Medical Center as a supervisor in the hematology laboratory. He transferred to Imbert Cancer Center in April 2019 because he was drawn to oncology care and the ability to impact cancer patients directly. Compared to other employers, Northwell stands out in Peter’s mind because “they care more about the patients and their issues. They also treat the employees with respect, and admire our diversity.”
Hired as an oncology lab manager, Peter appreciates the fact that the facility is close-knit and personal. This provides him with the opportunity to help out with the practice side, the treatment side and the laboratory. He can see and experience how each section of our facility comes together to do what’s right for the patient.
“My favorite aspect of my job is greeting the patients each and every day and to personally see how they are doing. It’s also working with a great team that has the same caring attributes that I do.”
Meet Truly Ambitious Nurse Practitioner Santpal Chawla
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This post is part of a blog series highlighting Northwell Health’s Advanced Clinical Providers (ACP). Each Northwell Health employee was nominated by their manager as an individual who exemplifies a Northwell Health value.
This month, we’re proud to introduce to you Santpal (Paul) Chawla who currently works as a nurse practitioner in the Department of Cardiothoracic (CT) Surgery at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). Read below to learn more about him and his journey as an ACP at Northwell Health.
Paul started his Northwell career as a registered nurse in Oncology at NSUH. While he loved being able to work and learn from the exceptional nurses there, he knew he wanted to push himself even further in his career.
With this growth in mind and with help from Northwell’s tuition reimbursement program, Paul obtained his Family Nurse Practitioner certification in 2003. “The main reason for becoming a nurse practitioner was that I wanted to challenge myself and further grow as a nurse,” says Paul. “I had no idea how fulfilling this role would become for me.”
Upon becoming an NP, Paul joined the Medicine Service Line. It was there found he was able to combine the compassion and knowledge he gained as an RN with the critical thinking skills of an NP. And after a few years of working as a medicine NP, Paul moved onto to join the CT surgery team – a decision that he hasn’t regretted.
“The support from the CT Surgery team is the backbone of my success here,” says Paul. “I have seen this service grow in ways I never thought imaginable. We have the opportunity to save lives each day because of the resources and dedicated staff. The heart transplant and ECMO programs have challenged my skill sets and enabled me care for the most critically ill patients.”
It’s his combination of compassion and ambition that led to Paul being the most recent recipient of NSUH’s Nurse Practitioner of the Year award. The award is an honor that he considers to be the biggest highlight of his career. “My job in the CTICU is not possible without all the amazing nurses, physicians, PAs and fellow NPs. They have given me the education and tools to succeed,” says Paul. “I have the honor of working with some of the best NPs and PAs here at Northwell and to get this award from my colleagues is an amazing feeling.”
Throughout his career, Paul has always felt his ambition for growth supported by his team, leadership and the organization itself. As he says, “the sky is the limit at Northwell Health.”
If you’re Made for working with a team of exceptional ACPs, explore our opportunities here.
My first year: what it takes to be a nurse practitioner
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The road from nurse to nurse practitioner (NP) presents new and exciting challenges, from managing complex care on a new team and oftentimes, working in a new environment. Taking this new path involves stepping outside your comfort zone to follow your passion.
In recognition of National NP Week, we spoke with NPs across our hospitals to get a look inside their journey thus far, including lessons learned and how they’re continuing to grow and develop as an NP.
It involves teamwork
As a new NP graduate, it’s important to communicate effectively with other clinicians on the care team – that includes not being afraid to ask questions and providing support to one another. Scott Snorteland, FNP-BC, from North Shore University Hospital feels a support system is crucial to a smooth transition into the role. “Without the help of my supervisor and my colleagues, I don’t know how I would have gotten through the first month. Teamwork is crucial to your role as an NP,” says Scott.
Merin Jacob, MS, ANP-C, who works in Employee Health Services (EHS) for Lenox Hill Hospital believes teamwork is most effective when you’re working with likeminded people. “Working in healthcare, we all have the same goal – to better the health of our patients and take care of each other. It’s important to put their safety and health first, and it makes it easier when you’re surrounded by those likeminded people who have the same goal in mind as you.”
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
When you’re faced with new responsibilities and a new work environment, it can be overwhelming. However, it’s important to get past your insecurities, stay positive and be able to accept those new challenges. Meghan Billia, MS, FNP-C, who practices palliative care at Huntington Hospital found having a mentor helped her get through the first couple of months. “It’s so important to have people to go to and ask for advice or bounce ideas off of. My mentor, Nanci Berg, NP-C, was that person for me and really helped me through that transition period.”
A new challenge can also be exciting. Scott went from an RN in pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center to now working with adults as a family nurse practitioner in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. “I knew going into this role that it was going to be challenging for me, but that’s partly why I took it. Getting out of your comfort zone and overcoming your fears is how you continue to grow.”
It’s more than clinical work, it’s about making connections
As a NP, making connections with your patients goes far beyond the bedside. You follow patients through a continuum of care – from 1:1 consults in an outpatient office to an inpatient stay, through discharge and back for follow-ups – it goes full circle. You build a sense of trust with your patients and it makes caring for them that more efficient.
Merin says working as an NP in EHS makes her feel like she’s part of a small community. “I spend time talking and building relationships with my patients because I know they may need to come back for follow-ups or new needs. You build a sense of trust with them and it’s a continuity of care outside the walls of the exam room that really makes a difference.”
Continue to grow
Every time you treat a patient, you’re faced with another opportunity to sharpen what you’ve learned. And ongoing education is crucial to being a successful advanced clinical provider. Scott, now seven weeks into his role as an NP, says he’s learned so much and is looking forward to continuing to intellectually challenge himself and advance his career.
“I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned from my first week as an NP to now. Going back to school provided me with the foundation I needed, but it always comes down to the hands-on experience. I’m still learning, and I’m OK with that because it’s how I’ll continue to reach my goals.”
Becoming an NP doesn’t just happen overnight or in orientation, recalls Tova Miller, AGACNP-BC, who practices internal medicine at Forest Hills Hospital. “It’s about understanding what you don’t know and utilizing what you do know. Being confident and continuing to learn helps you understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Let your passion guide you
The hardest days can often leave the greatest impact on your career. It makes you remember why you made the choice to transition into an advanced role and challenge yourself to continue to do better.
“I feel that I’m really making a difference,” says Tova. “I make sure our patients are receiving the best patient care and it’s my goal to get them out of the hospital as soon as possible, and be safe while doing so. As an NP, I know I’m making a positive impact on peoples’ lives and it brings me happiness when I know I’ve done something to improve their quality of life.”
Making the transition is something you have to be ready for, according to Scott. “As challenging as it is some days, it’s equally rewarding. As nurse practitioners, we’re here to be role models and pave the way for higher education for other nurses. I’m excited I took this leap to advance my career and I hope others take the opportunity to do so.”
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From the Marine Corps to Human Resources: Jose’s career journey
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Jose Rivera served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps before starting his Northwell career in 2005. Today he is a senior HR manager at the Orzac Center for Rehabilitation.
It was in the Marine Corps where Jose learned key skills that helped him thrive throughout his career at Northwell. Throughout his Northwell career, Jose held several manager positions at different locations, including LIJ Medical Center and Southside Hospital, before moving to the Orzac Center.
“I learned skills in the military which have helped me throughout my healthcare career,” says Jose. “I learned to be adaptable to change and resilient during tough times. Most important, I learned the value of being an engaged and approachable leader.”
For Jose, he knows that the transition from the military to a civilian career can be a difficult and stressful time for service members. “Hiring veterans is our commitment to these heroes,” he says. Jose has seen firsthand that veteran team members help our organization flourish: “Veterans bring a wealth of knowledge from their individual work ethic to innovative spirit and skill set. They are also committed to Northwell’s mission.”
Working at Northwell was the perfect next mission for Jose, allowing him to utilize the values and passion for leadership that had served him in his military career. It’s the team spirit and commitment to serving the community that makes him proud to come to work every day. “My favorite thing about working at Northwell is our people. I have met the most amazing, kind and fantastic people during my tenure with Northwell,” says Jose. “We have fantastic caregivers and I am proud that as an HR professional, I care for the caregiver.”
Learn more about Northwell’s commitment to military members.
How our medical office assistants are making a difference in patient’s lives
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Medical office assistants are typically the first people our patients interact with during their visit, helping to assess the patients’ needs. They have the unique opportunity to gain invaluable healthcare experience while developing their own skills and passion for patient care. And at Northwell, medical office assistants enjoy the close-knit atmosphere of working at a practice while still having access to career opportunities at New York State’s largest healthcare provider and private employer with 750+ ambulatory locations and beyond. With an unmatched combination of ongoing training, educational opportunities and tuition assistance, our medical office assistants are able to deliver care while they grow their career.
Hear from some of our medical office assistants on how they are making a difference at Northwell:
Atthis Nunez, Senior Medical Office Associate
“I have worked at a few Northwell practices as a medical assistant before becoming a senior medical assistant and I love being able to help the patients and make sure their needs are met.“
Dana Signorelli, Senior Medical Office Associate
“As a senior medical assistant, I am able to make a difference in a patient’s experience. I always wanted to be in the medical field because I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age three and was always surrounded by medicine. I wanted to be the person I always looked for while going to all of my appointments who made the experience fun and less scary. Being able to feel firsthand what these patients are feeling makes me able to relate to them.“
Iren King, Medical Office Associate
“My favorite thing about being a medical assistant is my interaction with patients. The joy I feel when I am able to be involved with their care and treatment is sensational. It gives me the satisfaction that I am making a difference.“
Joshua McLeod, Medical Office Associate
“I make a difference as a medical assistant by helping pediatric patients and their parents remain calm in the examination room. I really enjoy interacting with patients prior to the doctor going into the examination room and building relationships with newborns and their parents that last as they grow to become teenagers.“
Nafis Salcedo, Medical Office Associate
“The best part of being a medical assistant is the bonds we form with patients as the first line of care in the clinical area. I’m able to make a difference by treating each patient in a unique way according to their needs. I think it is important to make each patient feel welcome and comfortable with our care.”
Sara Marcos, Medical Office Associate
“My favorite thing about being a MOA at Northwell is that with the ability to work with many specialties, I am able to learn different aspects of the medical field. I’m able to make a difference by ensuring the office provides quality care for all of our patients.”
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Meet Truly Together Physician Assistant Ladise Everett
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This post is part of a blog series highlighting Northwell Health’s Advanced Clinical Providers (ACP). Each Northwell Health employee was nominated by their manager as an individual who exemplifies a Northwell Health value.
This month, we’re proud to introduce to you Ladise Everett who currently works as a physician assistant in the Department of Medicine at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). Read below to learn more about her and her journey as an ACP at Northwell Health.
When Ladise was younger, she always dreamt of working as a caregiver, and when she got to college she realized that a career as a physician assistant was her true calling. Her desire for work/life balance and a family played a huge role in leading her to a career at Northwell at NSUH, where she has worked since 2005 as a physician assistant (PA).
While working within the Department of Medicine, Ladise spends a lot of her time providing care to admitted patients in the Emergency Department (ED). “I feel that I have an amazing job in the ED as a PA because you have the ability to help impact immediate positive change for patients and change outcomes,” says Ladise.
During her time at Northwell, she also has taken on many large projects which has showcased her approach to leadership. Others describe Ladise as a leader who always recognizes every team member on each project, large or small, with a smile and a heart to help. They know her infectious and positive attitude is just one of the many reasons why her team loves to work with her. It was this positivity, along with her dedication to care, that led Ladise to win PA of the Year at NSUH’s 3rd Annual North Star Gala this year.
And her team is with her every step of the way as they togetherness extends beyond patient care to include picnics, holiday parties, fundraising and more. “Our team really supports one another and we have created a family-like environment,” says Ladise. “That is hands down why I would work here as a PA.”
Ladise doesn’t just impact her team with positivity, she also impacts the next generation of healthcare leaders. When she isn’t providing direct patient care, she is working as a preceptor mentoring newly hired physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Ladise says, “by being a role model, you can give back to not only the individual but to future patients by developing that high standard of care.”
If you’re Made for working with a team of exceptional ACPs, explore our opportunities here.
An Appointment With: Dr. Dwayne Breining, Executive Director, Northwell Health Labs
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Starting his Northwell Health career as the director of Lab/Pathology at LIJ Valley Stream Hospital 13 years ago, Dr. Dwanye Breining held that title at multiple Northwell hospitals before coming to our Core Laboratory. Now as executive director of the Northwell Laboratories, he leads the talented team that coordinates laboratory testing for our new Core Laboratory at the Center for Advanced Medicine (CFAM), the new Core Microbiology Laboratory at Little Neck Parkway, and the 43 hospital laboratories that rely on our laboratories for reference testing. Northwell Labs is also responsible for testing for physician offices, nursing homes, the Department of Health, clinical trials, urgent care centers and more.
We sat down with Dr. Breining to discuss the growth of careers within Northwell Labs.
What types of careers are available within Northwell Labs?
While I think everyone is aware that we employ many MD & DO pathologists, as well as PhDs, laboratory technologists, and phlebotomists, not everyone knows that we also have people in sales and finance, as well as numerous IT specialists, data analysts, customer service representatives, materials management personnel and many delivery vehicle operators, and even a pharmacist. It is indeed a very big department, and we are a 24/7/365 operation – laboratory services never stop.
What makes our Labs at Northwell unique?
I like to think that we combine the best of both worlds: the high-efficiency of a commercial lab-type setting with the personal touch and hands-on engagement of your local hospital lab that knows you as a patient, and your physician as a colleague. As the largest nonprofit health system lab in the country, we have access to the most advanced medical testing technology available, including the largest Roche chemistry automation line in North America at the CFAM lab and the largest Kiestra automated microbiology system at the Little Neck Lab.
We are recognized internationally as an innovator in the laboratory industry, not just on the technology side but also in the business arena through forming unique partnerships with other health systems such as the one we formed with NYC Health & Hospitals, in which we also serve as the Core Laboratory for their 18 hospitals and affiliated clinics. Another unique innovation we just launched, and are especially proud of, is LabFly. This is an Uber-like app, available for both iOS and Android devices, to have our phlebotomy services come to you, in your home or office at whatever time is convenient, for a low convenience fee. We are seeing rapidly growing interest in this type of service.
Why should Bio/Chem students who are unsure of what they want to do as a career explore the clinical lab field?
The level of fulfillment and sense of purpose one derives from working within healthcare in general, and knowing that the work you do directly affects the well-being of our community, is second to none, as any healthcare professional can attest. In the lab tech arena specifically, you will never be bored, as there are over 30 different tech sub-specialty areas in which to train, which creates many opportunities for career advancement. There is regular interaction with colleagues from all aspects of the lab, and also with physicians, office and hospital staff, and even school students and the general public at times. In addition, many of our Laboratory Information System computer specialists started out as lab techs, and are now trained and regularly installing and troubleshooting the highly advanced medical information systems that make modern healthcare run.
Why is Northwell an employer of choice for lab professionals?
Because of our demanding position within a large, leading healthcare system, we will always be at the cutting edge of clinical laboratory medicine. There are abundant opportunities for career evolution and advancement, and our staff can choose to partake in as much as they like. We work hard to create a comfortable and collegial work environment (after all, we all spend almost half our waking hours at work) because we want to attract and retain the best of the best.
Where do you see the future of clinical laboratory sciences evolving?
The future of the lab industry is incredibly bright. New testing technology keeps coming along faster than we can automate the simpler testing, and it is always a challenge to have enough techs coming on-board to keep up with it. In addition, we are already seeing opportunities for the lab to step more forward in healthcare, and participate in things like patient risk assessment, care coordination and escalation, and population health, especially given an aging population., We expect these trends to continue well into the future.
Develop cutting-edge applications in Software Engineering Internship
Picture: Purna Prasad, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Northwell Health, comes to visit and gets a demo from one of the teams.
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Do you have an insatiable curiosity for new ideas and building innovative software? Then you might be Made for Northwell Health’s Software Engineering Internship!
This year Northwell launched a new Software Engineering Internship where our interns worked at the forefront of building new technology for healthcare as part of the Northwell Health Information Technology Innovation Center. With over 400 applicants, five top candidates with varied skill sets were selected to form our first elite summer cohort.
Our summer interns had the opportunity use the latest technologies to build advanced modern software that will deliver real value to our patients, clinicians and organization. Operating like a startup, the team incubated new ideas and worked collaboratively in an agile environment like a commercial software development team.
Joining the team of software engineers, product managers and UX designers, our interns are bringing new ideas to life with the goal of having a pilot-ready software for deployment at our hospitals at the end of their internship. Each intern was mentored by a software engineer to ensure their success throughout the summer.
During their first week, interns attended a Coding Boot Camp, followed by the kick-off of two full stack projects. After presentations from stakeholders outlining important requirements, the interns were off and running in two small teams creating architecture to review with their mentors, running daily stand-up meetings and presenting to stakeholders for feedback.
While delivering projects, students learned about cutting edge technologies and work with the latest development methodologies and frameworks, including self-organizing to create their own development boards and run their own Scrum stand-ups. “The working environment is great,” says Xuliang Sun, a dual Masters student at Carnegie Mellon studying Civil Engineering and Technology Innovation Management. “We work in an open space and our mentors are there to help us. We can easily jump into the huddle room and whiteboard the solution together.”
Nic Lorenzen, senior development lead for the Innovation Software Engineering team believes in giving interns the opportunity to push their comfort zone. He adds, “By the end of summer, they will have created continuous deployment pipelines that push out Microsoft Azure function microservice backends, progressive reactive front end applications and leveraged SignalR for real-time communication. Our interns won’t just ship code like every intern yearns to do; they will ship clean, maintainable code that they can be proud of and we can use and build off of for years to come.”
Ready to gain experience for your future career? Applications are now open!
Let’s hear what our interns have to say about their summer so far:
“I think it’s important to feel like you’re part of the actual team during an internship. I feel like if we were to start working here tomorrow full-time, not much would change since we are already so involved.”
Abrar Ahmed
“I think it’s important to feel like you’re part of the actual team during an internship. I feel like if we were to start working here tomorrow full-time, not much would change since we are already so involved.”
Abrar Ahmed
“We’ve discussed ideas with executives throughout Northwell, networked with top technology companies and gained real full stack software engineering skills, all while enjoying the view of the Chrysler building from our New York City office. It feels less like an internship and more like a partnership, innovating to build better solutions for healthcare.”
Fahad Hossain
Senior, CUNY Queens College
“I learned a lot from the first week Coding Boot Camp and as a team we benefit a lot from the weekly stakeholder meetings where we get direct feedback from users and create our own plan for the next iteration of features.”
Xuliang Sun
Dual Masters Student, Carnegie Mellon
“Interning with the Innovation Center at Northwell Health has been an eye opening experience. I had the opportunity to work together with a wide range of individuals, ranging from software engineers to doctors and nurses to innovate and solve some of the most pressing healthcare issues impacting patient care. Since day one of the internship, I’ve had the opportunity to drive a project on my own that solves real world problems and which I developed using cutting-edge technologies. I am learning a lot and feel like my project matters.”
Joshua Zeitlinger
Junior, Stephens Institute of Technology
“This internship did a great job in giving us a big picture view of healthcare and the future trends in healthcare technology. In a few weeks, I’m shadowing a clinician on rounds at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and can’t wait to see how the technologies we have been working on can be incorporated right into the clinicians workflow.”
Cindy Zhang
Senior, University of Maryland College Park
“I think it’s important to feel like you’re part of the actual team during an internship. I feel like if we were to start working here tomorrow full-time, not much would change since we are already so involved.”
Abrar Ahmed
“We’ve discussed ideas with executives throughout Northwell, networked with top technology companies and gained real full stack software engineering skills, all while enjoying the view of the Chrysler building from our New York City office. It feels less like an internship and more like a partnership, innovating to build better solutions for healthcare.”
Fahad Hossain
Senior, CUNY Queens College
“I learned a lot from the first week Coding Boot Camp and as a team we benefit a lot from the weekly stakeholder meetings where we get direct feedback from users and create our own plan for the next iteration of features.”
Xuliang Sun
Dual Masters Student, Carnegie Mellon
“Interning with the Innovation Center at Northwell Health has been an eye opening experience. I had the opportunity to work together with a wide range of individuals, ranging from software engineers to doctors and nurses to innovate and solve some of the most pressing healthcare issues impacting patient care. Since day one of the internship, I’ve had the opportunity to drive a project on my own that solves real world problems and which I developed using cutting-edge technologies. I am learning a lot and feel like my project matters.”
Joshua Zeitlinger
Junior, Stephens Institute of Technology
“This internship did a great job in giving us a big picture view of healthcare and the future trends in healthcare technology. In a few weeks, I’m shadowing a clinician on rounds at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and can’t wait to see how the technologies we have been working on can be incorporated right into the clinicians workflow.”
Cindy Zhang
Senior, University of Maryland College Park
“I think it’s important to feel like you’re part of the actual team during an internship. I feel like if we were to start working here tomorrow full-time, not much would change since we are already so involved.”
Abrar Ahmed
“I think it’s important to feel like you’re part of the actual team during an internship. I feel like if we were to start working here tomorrow full-time, not much would change since we are already so involved.”
Abrar Ahmed
“We’ve discussed ideas with executives throughout Northwell, networked with top technology companies and gained real full stack software engineering skills, all while enjoying the view of the Chrysler building from our New York City office. It feels less like an internship and more like a partnership, innovating to build better solutions for healthcare.”
Fahad Hossain
Senior, CUNY Queens College
“I learned a lot from the first week Coding Boot Camp and as a team we benefit a lot from the weekly stakeholder meetings where we get direct feedback from users and create our own plan for the next iteration of features.”
Xuliang Sun
Dual Masters Student, Carnegie Mellon
“Interning with the Innovation Center at Northwell Health has been an eye opening experience. I had the opportunity to work together with a wide range of individuals, ranging from software engineers to doctors and nurses to innovate and solve some of the most pressing healthcare issues impacting patient care. Since day one of the internship, I’ve had the opportunity to drive a project on my own that solves real world problems and which I developed using cutting-edge technologies. I am learning a lot and feel like my project matters.”
Joshua Zeitlinger
Junior, Stephens Institute of Technology
“This internship did a great job in giving us a big picture view of healthcare and the future trends in healthcare technology. In a few weeks, I’m shadowing a clinician on rounds at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and can’t wait to see how the technologies we have been working on can be incorporated right into the clinicians workflow.”
Cindy Zhang
Senior, University of Maryland College Park
“I think it’s important to feel like you’re part of the actual team during an internship. I feel like if we were to start working here tomorrow full-time, not much would change since we are already so involved.”
Abrar Ahmed
“We’ve discussed ideas with executives throughout Northwell, networked with top technology companies and gained real full stack software engineering skills, all while enjoying the view of the Chrysler building from our New York City office. It feels less like an internship and more like a partnership, innovating to build better solutions for healthcare.”
Fahad Hossain
Senior, CUNY Queens College
“I learned a lot from the first week Coding Boot Camp and as a team we benefit a lot from the weekly stakeholder meetings where we get direct feedback from users and create our own plan for the next iteration of features.”
Xuliang Sun
Dual Masters Student, Carnegie Mellon
“Interning with the Innovation Center at Northwell Health has been an eye opening experience. I had the opportunity to work together with a wide range of individuals, ranging from software engineers to doctors and nurses to innovate and solve some of the most pressing healthcare issues impacting patient care. Since day one of the internship, I’ve had the opportunity to drive a project on my own that solves real world problems and which I developed using cutting-edge technologies. I am learning a lot and feel like my project matters.”
Joshua Zeitlinger
Junior, Stephens Institute of Technology
“This internship did a great job in giving us a big picture view of healthcare and the future trends in healthcare technology. In a few weeks, I’m shadowing a clinician on rounds at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and can’t wait to see how the technologies we have been working on can be incorporated right into the clinicians workflow.”
Cindy Zhang
Senior, University of Maryland College Park
“I think it’s important to feel like you’re part of the actual team during an internship. I feel like if we were to start working here tomorrow full-time, not much would change since we are already so involved.”
Abrar Ahmed
Northwell’s culinary tuition forgiveness program is the icing on the cake for Nicole’s career advancement
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Northwell Health is now offering a tuition forgiveness program for aspiring chefs. Available to eligible new Northwell culinary team members, this new program offers up to $10,000 in student loan repayment for Culinary Arts degree graduates over a period of two years. Nicole Feliz, a chef at North Shore University Hospital, is the first to receive this exciting opportunity.
“It was very humbling to find out that I would be the first to receive tuition forgiveness as a culinary member at Northwell Health,” says Nicole, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
By introducing a tuition forgiveness program, Northwell aims to educate and attract innovative culinary students and recent graduates to culinary careers in healthcare. In addition to the forgiveness program, eligible employees can receive tuition reimbursement to further their education starting after one year of employment.
Nicole’s interest in cooking was sparked at a young age as she cooked with her mother and experienced how the power of food can bring people together. But it wasn’t until Nicole read an article in a newspaper featuring Chef Bruno Tison, VP of system food services and corporate chef at Northwell that she thought about following her culinary career dreams in a healthcare setting.
“Reading about him saying that his vision and duty was to put restaurant-quality food in the healthcare industry inspired me,” says Nicole. “I have always looked up to him and his culinary career, and I can’t think of another industry outside of healthcare that would be as self-gratifying for me to contribute to.”
With a new mission in mind, Nicole joined the Northwell culinary team as a second cook through FlexStaff, Northwell’s internal temporary staffing agency. Less than a year later, she was promoted to a full-time tournant chef at North Shore University Hospital. Now, through her work at Northwell, she can leverage her skills to provide nutritious food that brings people together, and helps them throughout their healing process.
“I love working at Northwell because everyone shares the same vision and is dedicated to the mission. My team and our collaboration makes the job seamless.”
Faces of Oncology Care: Northwell Health Cancer Institute Research Nurses
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As one of the largest cancer programs in the New York metropolitan area, the Northwell Health Cancer Institute treats more New Yorkers for cancer than any other health care provider. With the trust of so many, our oncology team members work passionately to help patients thrive.
Unique partnerships such as with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, help this goal as Northwell’s research nurses have the opportunity to work on innovative clinical trials that provide patients with the most promising treatments. And beyond just providing care, their compassion is changing the lives of our patients and their families.
Meet some of our inspiring research nurses below and hear what makes them passionate about oncology research.
Having worked at Northwell Health since 1987, Diane has been a registered nurse in various specialties including post-partum, nursery, medical/surgical, telemetry, and cardiovascular.
But Diane’s interest in clinical research was always in oncology research. “I lost my oldest sister to cancer when I was 12 years old. I witnessed firsthand the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on an entire family. The respect and dignity that was shown to my sister and our family still resonates within me to this day,” says Diane. “That is what inspired me to become a nurse and Northwell Health enabled me to fulfill my dream including earning my bachelor’s degree in 2016.”
This passion for oncology care has only strengthened since she’s become a research nurse “I love working in oncology because each day I have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. I come to work knowing that inside this building we have the ability to change lives forever through clinical research. Clinical research is important because it works to find better ways to prevent, detect, or treat cancer and learn new approaches to therapy.”
Beyond just the clinical trials that Diane works on every day to help improve the lives of patients with cancer, she is also a leadership committee member for the Long Island chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). Through her volunteering, Diane is very active in helping spread awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer with the hope to empower women to advocate for their own health.
Her commitment to research, care and education have not gone unnoticed. In 2017 she was recognized as an NOCC Nurse Honoree as well as being recognized as the Northwell Health Clinical Research Nurse of the Year in 2018. But for Diane, it’s very rewarding seeing the impact her work has on patients.
“I look forward to seeing my patients and their families share their life stories. Seeing them celebrate milestones in their lives and knowing it is because they are in a clinical trial is a gift to me.”
Julia started her Northwell nursing career at Monter Cancer Center where she worked as an oncology research nurse on the solid tumor team. In 2017, she transitioned into a new role as a phase 1 research nurse where she cares for patients that are being treated for the first time in their trials.
Julia started as a rehabilitation nurse caring for a large number of oncology patients, and thought her skills could transition into another area of nursing. “I felt that there was something larger out there to fulfill my curiosity and desire in healthcare. Oncology is continuously changing with respect to knowledge, learning, research, treatments and opportunities,” says Julia. “I felt that this field could feed my curiosity and at the same time satisfy my desire to help my patients.”
As an oncology research nurse, Julia is always looking for new and improved treatments with a commitment to helping enhance her patient’s quality of life. In her position, Julia is able to work with innovative treatment modalities and drug combinations that have not been tried yet. “It’s very exciting and rewarding knowing that I am part of creating history.”
And her passion extends beyond research – just a few short months after starting at Northwell, she was awarded with the Patient Recognition Star. “This recognition demonstrated that even the smallest thing we do for our patients means a lot to them,” says Julia.
After receiving her Master of Science in Nursing, Shirley started her clinical research career at Northwell in 2003 initially, as a clinical research nurse practitioner in pulmonary medicine.
In 2015 Shirley returned to research and today is a clinical research nurse for the Breast/GYN Research team at Monter Cancer Center (MCC). “My mother was a breast cancer survivor and I felt this position would allow me to add a very personal touch to the clinical aspect of my job when working with and caring for patients and families,” says Shirley. “Having the privilege to participate in another person’s healthcare journey motivates me to deliver the best patient care. My mother’s journey with breast cancer reminds me that my actions can have a powerful impact on the lives of a patient and their family during an emotionally stressful time.”
Her dedication, ability to establish deep therapeutic bonds and empathize with patients was recognized when Shirley was awarded the 2017 Northwell Care Award during MCC’s patient experience week. Shirley was also invited to be a mentor in the Northwell Health Clinical Research Professional Mentorship program.
Shirley enjoys working as a clinical research nurse and because of the role’s versatility, she is able to represent Northwell Health as a member of the Symptom Intervention Committee for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology national group and also conducts breast cancer awareness information sessions in the community.
When she first started in oncology, Shirley met a patient who changed her life: “When I met the patient and her husband, she shared her personal wish, which made me feel honored to be taking part in her care. She was determined to live long enough to see her son go to his prom.” This instant connection Shirley had with her patient strengthened her passion and with each study visit, Shirley and her patient became closer and developed a bond.
“The most memorable part of her treatment was when she came in and showed me the pictures of her son’s prom,” says Shirley. “She beamed with delight as she told me how she helped her son get ready for the big night. I was overcome with a sense of joy and satisfaction knowing I had been a part of helping her achieve this goal. My role in clinical trials research had given this patient hope. I will never forget her and can never thank her enough because this patient and my mother represent that even just one moment can matter.”
Shirley says “the possibilities are endless as a clinical research nurse” and looks forward to what the future has to offer at Northwell.
Are you Made for delivering oncology care? Learn more about the Northwell Health Cancer Institute.
A taste for success: Boram’s culinary externship at Northwell Health
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When it came to her culinary externship, Boram Lee knew she wanted to get a taste of healthcare.
Northwell Health recently partnered with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to host their culinary externs and introduce innovative new culinary talent to healthcare careers. Boram, a student at the prestigious CIA, is the first student to participate in this exciting externship program.
“I heard about the externship from one of my professors and my goal is to be in healthcare so I was very interested,” says Boram. After the application and interview process, Boram was selected to participate and have her summer externship at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH).
At NSUH, Boram participated in a 14-week program under the guidance of the executive chef and sous chef in an immersive learning experience that taught her about food as care, nutrition training, and community food access in addition to more traditional culinary training.
With such a diverse training program, Boram got to experience all the facets of a holistic culinary healthcare career – and grew as a chef along the way! “I learned about the many different diets and allergies patients can have and the variety of menus Northwell creates to support that,” says Boram.
From technical training with the executive chef to nutrition training with registered dieticians, Boram’s externship helped her develop new skills such as menu planning and therapeutic diets. Boram even got to participate in bedside rounds and interactions to see firsthand how our food impacts patients and families.
Throughout her externship, Boram saw just how Northwell is committed to raising the standard for hospital food with Michelin-trained and award-winning Chef Bruno Tison leading the way. Having to create restaurant quality food at a healthier and larger scale was a challenge she enjoyed.
And as for what she’ll remember most from her externship? “It was so rewarding to discover how changing the way you eat can give you a longer lifespan,” says Boram.
Learn more about Northwell Health’s commitment to culinary excellence.
What you didn’t know about Cytology and why you should consider it as a laboratory science career
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When it comes to how patients are diagnosed, cytology plays a huge role. At Northwell Health, laboratory technologists and technicians who work in our state-of-the-art laboratories are very instrumental in our success. They are responsible for preparing cytology specimens for microscopic evaluation by Cytotechnologists and Cytopathologists in detecting infections, premalignant and malignant conditions.
So, in preparing for a laboratory career in Cytology, what should you know? Here’s a shortlist of what you can expect your responsibilities would be:
- Preparing slides from patient samples for examination.
- Evaluate the quality slides for microscopic review.
- Working closely with Cytotechnologists and Cytopathologists.
- Using the latest and most innovative instruments and technology like Cytospin, Centrifuges, Hologic T2000, Hologic T5000, Automatic stainers, Automatic coverslippers, Slide printing and Hologic Imagers to deliver results that make a difference.
- Processing specimens, particularly for patient clinical care and research.
- Upholding the highest quality of care to the community you serve.
- Collaborating with a talented team of ambitious individuals like you!
Choosing to go into this profession could be life-changing, not only for you but also for the patients you help so they receive the treatment they need to be in better health. As a Cytopathology lab technician, Diane Wieczorek, stated, “It’s a very rewarding experience since you know you are helping with a patient’s diagnosis and life. If I had to do it over again I wouldn’t change a thing, and as a lab technician that’s an achievement to myself.”
Explore Cytology laboratory careers at Northwell by visiting here.
Explore Information Services careers at Northwell Health
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Making health care better is a big deal, and it takes the sharpest minds and most tenacious technology leaders to make it all happen. Our IT team is an impressive group of more than 1,500 skilled professionals implementing and supporting advanced clinical and technological systems for one of the nation’s largest and most forward-thinking healthcare organizations. Watch the video below to learn about our Information Services team here at Northwell Health!
My experience as a Healthcare Management Program Summer Associate in the Imaging Service Line.
Photo: Lindsey is on the right.
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Written by: Lindsey Feuerzeig, Binghamton University, HMP Summer Assocaite 2019
Healthcare has been an industry that has peaked my interest for most of my life. When I was 10 years old, I went to Huntington Hospital with stomach pains. A few hours later I was transferred by ambulance to Cohen Children’s Medical Center and the next morning I had an emergency appendectomy.
Fast forward to college, I arrived freshman year as a Biomedical Engineering major with a dream to work in stem cell research. Chemistry did not go too well and I switched to my current major, Industrial, and Systems Engineering (ISE), focusing on the optimization of complex processes, systems, and organizations. This major is typically highly focused in manufacturing; however, there has been a recent focus in healthcare as well.
In January 2019, I accepted an internship offer in the Healthcare Management Program (HMP). I later found out that I was placed in the Imaging Service Line, and was interested to see what exactly that meant. The Imaging Service Line provides critical services such as X-Ray, MRI, CAT scan, Mammography, etc. During the course of the internship, I was enthralled with all activities regarding Northwell’s imaging services.
During my internship, I attended outpatient site visits, learned about the clinical aspect of imaging, and most importantly listened, and brought insight back to our leadership team. I worked on volume reports for each facility, as well as equipment reports. I also worked on a major inpatient project at North Shore University Hospital, The MRI Assessment Project. The project detailed data behind the outpatient volume of the hospital including procedure type, referring doctors, and patient demographics. The second part of the project included creating a detailed workflow of the inpatient process and identifying associated bottlenecks. After my completion of the assessment, I reported out at a final presentation to various hospital executives. My project will continue to be executed by my preceptors as my internship has now come to a close.
Reflecting back on my experience this summer, I could not have wished for a better program. The HMP has helped me grow both my technical and soft skills. I was encouraged to step outside my comfort zone throughout all my projects and meet with various stakeholders for their input. As a summer associate at Northwell Health, I was treated as a fellow employee and expected to deliver results to my assigned projects.
I’d like to say thank you to Northwell for offering a robust Healthcare Management Program and I look forward to applying all I’ve learned to my future career in healthcare management.
Update: Lindsey has been offered and accepted a full-time position in the Management Associate Program as an Associate at LIJ Medical Center once she graduates from Binghamton Unviersity May.
Submit your resume to become a Summer Associate in the 2020 Healthcare Management Program Internship!
My summer as a Hospitality in Healthcare intern
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Written by: Valerie Pelling, High Point University Graduate ‘19
I was introduced to playing sports from a young age. Playing soccer, lacrosse and everything in between, I saw my fair share of podiatrists, neurologists, and orthopedists for sports related injuries that were often interrupting my athletic career. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, dealing with these injuries and seeing numerous doctors would lead me to my future career path.
In 2015, I headed off to college to major in Business Administration and to play Division 1 Lacrosse at High Point University. While my academics were going well, I faced a season-ending injury in my sophomore year. I was in need of ACL reconstructive surgery which was a tough pill to swallow, considering I would be out for the next 10 months!
While working with physical therapists to get back on the field, it gradually dawned on me that I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. With this new passion, I began volunteering at a local hospital. I connected connecting with patients by conducting surveys on how they felt about their hospital visit. My time spent interacting with patients taught me about the importance of customer service and empathy, which are necessary skills in order to work in this field.
Fast-forward to 2019 when the Hospitality in Healthcare Internship Program at Northwell jumped out at me. I was ecstatic about the opportunity to be a part of the patient experience team in the system that repeatedly got me back on my feet. The hospitality internship has opened my eyes to how Northwell truly differentiates themselves from other healthcare systems. The thought and care that goes into improving its patient and customer experience is impressive and the culture the organization prides itself on is sincere and one of a kind.
My experience at Patient Access Services (PAS), a centralized call center for patients and providers, taught me the importance of respect, customer service, and communication skills. PAS is the patient’s first impression for certain practices, and the thoughtfulness and empathy that the customer service agents provide is the reason why Northwell is so great. From the point of view of a long time Northwell patient, any facility that is associated with the Northwell name gives the greatest quality of care. They treat everyone as if they are family, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to work alongside the personnel who make the Northwell patient experience so remarkable.
How North Shore University Hospital is delivering culinary excellence with new In-Room Dining Program
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When you think of a fine dining experience, we know hospitals aren’t typically the first location to pop in your head. But thanks to the new In-Room Dining Program at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH), they might soon be.
For the launch of the new program, NSUH’s culinary team worked hard to create a menu full of delicious and healthy options in collaboration with their registered dietitians. From fresh bakery bread with eggplant bacon in the morning to linguine al fresco at dinnertime, all the meals were crafted to maximize nutrition without sacrificing taste. Registered dietitians are also available to help patients design a meal plan to help them on their healing journey.
By providing patients with a choice between nutritional, natural and home-made meals, the new services are just one part of Northwell Health’s mission to change the way patients think about hospital food. We believe that food is medicine and as an important part of the healing process menu options must be customized for clinical needs while being lovingly prepared by talented chefs with local and natural ingredients.
“I am proud to be part of an organization that puts the patient first and gives innovative opportunities to its team members,” says Michael Kiley, director of dining services at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). “The days of the stereotypical ‘hospital food’ are over! Our In-Room Dining Program is set up to provide the best dining experience for our patients by serving delicious wholesome cooked to order with restaurant style menu choices. And all are developed by our creative culinary team of chefs and cooks and, overseen by our caring clinical registered dietitians, ordered through our well trained diet technicians, and delivered by professional positive dining associates.”
And nutritional food doesn’t just help our patients heal, it changes the way they feel. “The In-Room Dining program is where patients forget that they are in a hospital and feel they are in a five star hotel,” says Vanessa Barone, diet technician at NSUH.
Helping to deliver that extra attention and care to the patients has only benefited the relationship between our nutrition team and the patients. “It feels good being a dining associate,” says Eloheim Miller. “It makes me feel happy to make the patients happy. They love this service!” It’s an exciting time to join Northwell’s culinary and nutritional teams as even more innovative practices are being implemented across the system.
“Enhancing the patient experience is at the forefront of what we do every day,” says Sean Butler, assistant director of dining services at NSUH. “Giving patients the choice of what to eat and when to eat it helps them gain a sense of control that is usually lost during a hospital stay. Our goal is to make mealtime their favorite part of their stay here!”
North Shore University Hospital is currently looking for dedicated team members to help redefine the culinary experience. Explore exciting opportunities for chefs, dietetic technicians, dietary production workers and more!
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What is Northwell Health’s Radiology Administrative Succession Program (RASP)?
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The Radiology Administrative Succession Program is a one-year program that develops and enhances Northwell’s radiology leaders to enable them to take the next step in their career. During the program, leaders are provided with educational opportunities, knowledge sharing, hands-on learning and training with senior radiology leaders across the Imaging service line and hospital radiology departments.
“Succession planning is vitally important for ensuring the continued success of any business. The radiology service line has an amazing pool of top talent who we have identified and developed in an effort to fill future roles. Our goal is to focus on cultivating managers from within Northwell to ensure the leaders of the future are in place,” says Melone Pernice, Administrative Director, Radiology at Plainview Hospital.
Radiology team members are nominated by their leaders to participate in RASP and then the RASP Committee selects the final participates based on their nominations. This year, three team members were selected to participate in the inaugural class.
“RASP demonstrated to me that everyone is part of the same team and each person is fully invested in your success. All components of the program — from the subject matter classes, system level meetings and one-on-one mentoring — gave me the confidence I would need to handle any future obstacles. RASP is essential to ensure the future leaders are prepared for tomorrow, “says RASP participant Adrienne Wilson, radiology manager at Plainview Hospital.
2019 President’s Award Finalists: Innovation
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Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Innovation award recognizes team members who were finalists in the Innovation Challenge. Northwell’s Innovation Challenge empowers team members to come up with the next big health care innovation in areas such as revenue through new or existing channels, improve patient experience, improve quality of care, positively impact health outcomes and so much more. As an organization, we understand that our people are the ones who bring our patient care to the next level, and this program gives them an opportunity to share their big ideas. Meet this year’s finalists.
AccuLABeler
AccuLABeler represents a proprietary middle-ware solution that interfaces with existing robotics machinery and a lab information system (LIS) to more efficiently relabel tubes referred to the lab for analysis from non-system sources. At Northwell, the current workflow requires 12 FTEs who perform accessioning and relabeling of these tubes. The total available market encompasses reference laboratories in the United States and abroad.
Bedside Voice Assistant
The Bedside Voice Assistant (BVA) involves the continued development of an existing prototype of a bed-side Alexa based voice assistant created by members of the Northwell Innovation Center. This innovation represents a developed software product which is cloud based, HIPAA compliant and will be agnostic to EMR system for integration and scalability.
EDCAP aza-Peptide Building Blocks for Preferred Drug Characteristics
Many pharmaceutical drugs are peptides, small fragments of proteins. When carefully chosen, peptides offer the advantage of selectivity toward a target coupled with minimal adverse side effects. However, peptides suffer from a very short half-life, and their effect can be very short lived because they are destroyed in seconds in the blood. The EDCAP technology offers a general solution to this stability issue through changing the labile peptide bond to an alternate bond that is resistant to peptidases (stable for hours in the blood).
LabFly: Mobile Phlebotomy App
The proposed innovation reflects the development of a mobile blood drawing solution for patients and caregivers. As developed, LabFly would serve as the patient facing application, and integrate with LabFly Phleb, a phlebotomist facing application. The applications have been reviewed by the Northwell OCIO, OCIO security review, penetration tests and a QM validation. Future development of the application could support on demand appointments for flu shots and strep testing, and/or integration with care delivery within emergency rooms.
Real-Time Actionable Data (RAD)
The RAD invention represents a data analysis and reporting tool which provides real time, actionable data related to ED utilization and the allocation of clinical resources. RAD addresses an unmet need in many if not all emergency rooms by supporting data driven, patient specific, decision making. This product builds upon the work conducted over the past several years within the Northwell Emergency Medicine service line.
2019 President’s Award Finalists: Teamwork
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Each year, Northwell’s President’s Awards recognize team members who not only surpass our expectations and standards of excellence, but also those who drive innovative business outcomes.
The Teamwork award recognizes a team who is flexible, hardworking and made for unwavering support. They successfully collaborate to improve quality, financial performance and/or patient-centric care by leveraging and embracing diversity while creating a feeling of belonging. Meet this year’s finalists.
Deliver the Vote
Lenox Hill Hospital
A pair of nurses with a strong commitment to upholding the right to vote, and an amazing determination not to take no for an answer enabled dozens of hospitalized patients to participate in the American electoral system.
Their efforts began two years ago when a patient inquired about voting but at that point, they were unable to help. Ahead of the 2018 election, Lisa Schavrien and Erin Smith decided to be pro-active, exploring ways to help their patients be heard at the ballot box. Their inquiries led them to a series of rejections by boards of elections, non-responses from political offices and a trip to a courtroom in Queens.
With the help from other volunteers, they canvassed their hospital for patients who wanted to vote. In one room, a patient facing brain surgery managed to cast her vote before surgery; in another, a patient’s partner was unable to get a ballot for the patient because they weren’t married, but Lisa obtained a ballot for him.
Voting may not seem like an issue clinical team members need to tackle, and they could find no other hospital making the same effort, but thanks to this team that went above and beyond, 75 Northwell patients were able to cast their ballots.
ECMO-TO-GO
Long Island Jewish Medical Center, North Shore University Hospital, Southside Hospital
Made up of a team of well-honed specialists, ECMO-TO-GO takes its life-saving skills wherever they are needed, elevating the level of care available to seriously ill patients. The team develops its successes with the cardiopulmonary bypass technique through continuity of communication and care delivered by all team members, commitment to continuous improvement and the depth of care provided by experts from across Northwell. The innovative approach of the team traveling to the patient rather than the other way around means a highly qualified, seasoned team is available to the sickest of patients. With a mortality rate of about 50 percent in these kinds of patients, the concept of such a team grew out of the establishment of an acute lung injury program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and the launch of a heart transplant program. Northwell physicians recognized the need to provide stable, quality care as quickly as possible, leading to the ECMOTO- GO program.
The strength of the group comes from their ability to harness their differences in expertise to meet the dire needs of a complicated patient population. They do so with seamless coordination, deep compassion, and deliberate communication ultimately forging something stronger than any individual person.
Food as Health Implementation Team
Long Island Jewish Valley Stream
Team members have put reliable access to food at the center of a pioneering effort to improve the health of their patients. After people in multiple departments recognized that some patients had trouble finding affordable, nutritious food when they returned home, a team came together to brainstorm some solutions. Their conclusions: provide discharged patients with the resources to find affordable foods and to prepare meals that would help restore them to health.
The Food as Health (FAH) Program screens patients from the outpatient wound care center, and one inpatient unit for food insecurity. Patients in need with nutrition-related conditions (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, unintentional weight loss) are referred to the appropriate FAH service arm for support. Patients who are mobile and able to cook for themselves are referred to the FAH hospital-based onsite resource center. The patient is provided two days’ worth of nutritious emergency food, nutrition education and counseling, and referrals to community resources.
The collaborative effort of the multidisciplinary workgroup to identify clinical partners, establish workflows, reports and outcomes is a significant reason for the successful implementation of the FAH program. The team continues to work together to identify the outcome measures and establish reporting to demonstrate improvement in patient outcomes and hospital data such as decreased readmissions.
Inpatient Charge Capture (IPCC)
Corporate, Revenue Cycle Operations, Medical Group
When a small group of data-savvy professionals began examining the question of whether Northwell was billing and collecting for every professional service provided in hospitals, it quickly became clear that they needed more expertise.
The question of revenue capture is a long-standing one and quantifying it and executing a process across the health system was huge challenge. The team grew to involve several Information Services disciplines and data experts and as it grew, so did the project. Instead of finding a basic report on where to find the revenue opportunities, the team produced much more. They came up with a real-time, web-based tool that allows service lines and/ or individuals to know what the missing billing opportunities are daily/weekly/monthly. It allows the user to filter by service line, hospital, provider and unit. The tool is easy to navigate and provides a weekly “subscription” service for providers.
The deep dive in the collaborative effort also identified a $10 million revenue opportunity for Northwell, the result of experts collaborating and using their own areas of expertise to produce a positive outcome.
Northwell Transfusion Medicine
Northwell Health Labs
A team of professionals collaborated to take on the challenge of ensuring Northwell hospitals maintained fresh and adequate supply of platelets to cope with both routine and emergency use. Maintaining a blood product supply is essential to optimal patient care, but daily usage can be difficult to forecast. Platelets, expensive to produce, test and store, have a short shelf life and frequently expire before they can be used.
This team’s bold solution to meeting the need and reducing costly waste was to develop a delivery system that moves blood products throughout the health system, with many ultimately winding up at the hospitals that routinely need them the most. Breaking away from the existing system, the team began with data, figuring out a system to outline a new distribution process. That birthed a “Round Robin” transportation system to reduce supplemental and emergency deliveries. The concept of rotating platelets from the community hospitals to the final destination of one of two tertiary hospitals is based on usage. Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital combined utilize as many as 50 units a day for Cardiac, Trauma, Surgical, Oncology and Transplant services. Through extensive monitoring and trending of patient platelet needs, a dramatic savings of more than $200,000 was realized in 2018 in expiration waste.
School-Based Vocational Services
South Oaks Hospital
A committed group of professionals provides students challenged by intellectual and developmental disabilities with services that are tailored to individuals from 27 school districts across Long Island. Students receive coachin g, job readiness training and social skills development in both a classroom and professional setting with more than 100 participating companies with the goal of promoting independence and developing skills to prepare these young adults to enter the workforce after graduation.
The collaboration of these team members led to 64% of the graduating students finding employment post-graduation. On a daily basis, this team manages to touch the lives of more than 200 youths and parents, on Long Island. Nearly all of the team members work remotely and are required to travel throughout their day to meet the needs of the various sites they are working to serve.
The team has been able to create new approaches to learning in school settings by implementing in-school businesses where students can improve work readiness skills. Through personal dedication and putting creativity to work, they are making big differences in the lives of these students.
The Fin
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Experts with a diverse set of skills devised and conducted the first pilot clinical trial of the Fin, a novel 3D-printed swim prosthesis designed for use in a recreational pool setting. The dedicated group was seeking ways to improve recreational opportunities for people with lower-limb amputations, who, according to studies, are less likely to participate in physical activity than the general population.
Often working on their own time, they established protocols to ensure a thorough test that respected each individual’s dignity and needs while examining all aspects of the prosthesis. The most common design for a swim prosthesis has a fixed angle foot (“ankle foot”) that is at 90 degrees with the floor, which, while it is easy to use in the water, is not useful when walking over ground or transitioning into and out of the water. The 3-D printing also significantly lowers the typical cost of the prosthesis.
All participants in the test found the prosthesis easy to put on and take off. The majority (71%) of participants reported being extremely satisfied with the prosthesis.
Every member of the multidisciplinary team brought to the project their passion for wanting to improve the quality of life, participation and inclusion for individuals with lower limb amputations.
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7 ways to heat up your career this summer
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Summer is here and with the changes of the season comes sunshine, beaches, vacation and…career development? Though it may be tempting to slip into vacation mode full-time, summer offers a lot of opportunities to enhance your career without giving up your fun in the sun.
Develop new skills
Offering to cover projects for your coworkers while they’re on vacation allows you to develop new skills and gain first-hand experience that you may not typically get in your role. Work with your manager and teammate to prepare for their absence. You will show your team spirit and ambition along the way!
Summer reading
Summer reading shouldn’t end after high school graduation. Whether you’re hitting the beach or sitting poolside, don’t miss the perfect opportunity to refine your skills. Relaxing with a good professional development book can help you learn how to boost your leadership skills, improve how you communicate, and provide self-reflection.
Make use of the extra sunshine
The sun is rising earlier, and you could too! Develop a morning routine that helps you take advantage of the summer season. Start your morning off right with meditation, exercise, create a to-do list, eat a healthy breakfast, or simply enjoy a cup of coffee outside.
Revamp your online presence
Grab some shade and take some time to update your LinkedIn profile with your latest work information and skills, plus connect with coworkers and friends to grow your network.
Hold meetings outdoors
Head outdoors for lunch or hold your team meetings at the park. Have lunch with your mentor on a regular basis to grow and develop your skills while checking in for feedback and advice. And instead of the usual indoor staff meetings, take a field trip to the park for some team building activities. With everyone eager to get some sun, planning some outside activities is the perfect way to regroup this summer.
Volunteer
Invest in yourself while making an impact on others. This summer find an opportunity to give back to the community by volunteering or if you are a Northwell employee, get active in one of our Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs). Meet new people and help your community.
Enjoy your vacation
While it’s important to develop professionally, it’s also important to take time off! Enjoy your summer vacation and schedule some time away from work and the internet. And even better, studies have shown that summer vacations help boost your productivity once you’ve returned and you’re able to reinvigorate your career with a fresh mindset.
Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Apply to Northwell Health today!
Northwell Health Recipe: Spring Duck Salad
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Barbecue season is here and our Northwell Health chefs have prepared the perfect dish to wow guests at your next event! Learn how to prepare a Spring Duck Salad that’s as healthy as it is delicious.
Spring Duck Salad:
Preparation Time:15 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Total Yield: 6 salads
Equipment: Blender or robo coupe, saute pan, tongs, spoon, bowl, cutting board knife
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Pat duck breast dry and using a sharp knife, score the skin with a cross- hatch pattern.
The first step is to score the fat to help it render more efficiently. Make very shallow cuts in a tight crisscross pattern across the surface of the duck. With a sharp knife, this requires virtually no pressure: just slide the blade along, while barely breaking through the skin. If you prefer to render out more of the fat, simply make deeper cuts. Do not be tempted to remove it prior to cooking. That layer of fat protects the meat, allowing you to cook it gently and evenly; because duck is best served medium-rare. - Start the glaze: toast the chile pieces in a skillet, pressing them down firmly with a spatula for a few seconds until they release a toasty aroma, then flip them, and press down the other side. Place the chiles into a small bowl, cover with hot water and let rehydrate for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the soaking water.
- In a blender or robo coupe: combine the ancho chiles, the reserved soaking liquid, garlic, oregano, pepper, cumin, honey, pinot noir and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend to a smooth puree, scraping down and stirring frequently. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup of the glaze for the dressing.
- Place 2 of the duck breasts seasoned with salt skin side down in a pan on medium-low* heat. Sear for 6 minutes until richly brown and the skin is crispy, flip and sear the underside for 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and repeat this procedure with the remaining breasts.
- Take the remaining ancho glaze and brush the top of each of the duck breasts. Place the baking sheet into the center of the preheated oven at 325 degrees and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Sautee the corn with a bit of the leftover rendered duck fat.
- To make the dressing: blend together the dressing ingredients: ancho glaze reserved, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, honey, and salt
- Once the duck breasts have been sliced, plate up individual servings by arranging the rocket greens on the plate. Fan out the duck breast slices and sprinkle the radish slices, mango, and avocado over the top of the salad. Place the julienned scallions on each of the salads and sautéed corn on top- drizzle on the dressing.
Are you a master chef? Show off your culinary experience at Northwell Health. Explore culinary job opportunities.
*When duck breast is seared at a higher temperature, the flesh quickly cooks before enough fat has rendered out, leaving you with a thick, flabby layer of fat over tough meat. When you use gentle heat, the fat has time to render off, while heat slowly transfers to the flesh through the buffer of the thick skin layer. This gives you tender flesh with a minimal gradient, as well as delicious, crisp skin.
| Ingredients: | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 6 Duck Breast boneless (skin on) | 140 grams |
| Salt | scant |
| Garlic Cloves (roasted) | 6 cloves |
| Dried Ancho Chiles | 56 grams |
| Oregano | 5 grams |
| Black Pepper | 1 gram |
| Cumin | .5 grams |
| Honey | 60ml |
| Pinot noir | 30ml |
| Ancho glaze: made from above | 120ml |
| Extra Virgin Olive oil | 180ml |
| Lime juice | 80ml |
| Honey | 30ml |
| Salt | 5 grams |
| French breakfast Radish | 6 ea. |
| Rocket Arugula | 336 grams |
| Avocados (diced) | 2 ea. |
| Sweet Corn (shucked and kernels removed) | 2 ea. |
| Mango champagne (peeled and diced) | 2 ea. |
| Purple Scallions (trimmed and julienned) | 6 ea. |
North Shore University Hospital wins Northwell Health’s 2019 Chefs Challenge
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Recently, five Northwell Health hospitals competed in the 2019 Chefs Challenge! Teams had 90 minutes to prepare a healthy and delicious meal with a salmon appetizer, filet mignon entree, and an apple dessert – meals that could potentially be served to patients in our hospitals. After presenting to our judges for tasting, North Shore University won first place in the competition. Rounding out the winners were LIJ Valley Stream Hospital in second and Southside Hospital in third.
You’ve already met the teams comprised of three chefs and a certified dietitian, now take a look at the meals!
First Place: North Shore University Hospital
Second Place: LIJ Valley Stream Hospital
Third Place: Huntington Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital
Southside Hospital
