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The 6,994 mile trip that changed my life

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The 6,994 mile trip that changed my life

Written by: Shawn Chacko

My Northwell Health story is really a culmination of a journey that started years ago. My family emigrated from a third world country where poverty and disease were pervasive. Traveling to my native land created this burden in me to help solve these issues. By 2007 I was riding the wave of believing in our own capabilities and I came to the realization that my efforts needed to be focused on a very specific mission. I then became determined to build hospitals and clinics in under privileged areas around the world.

In 2009 I decided to attend Stony Brook University where I enrolled as a pre-medical student. I believed my passion for medicine and my affinity for sciences would provide the means to fulfill my mission. During my sophomore year of college there was an opportunity to assist on a medical mission’s trip to Ethiopia. I traveled 6,994 miles away from all the comforts I had to help the people of this country in any way I could. The experience really exposed me to suffering once again, but something within me changed. The country and the people were beautiful, but the sheer neglect for life, health and opportunity were appalling. Images of children on their last hope were seared into my brain, and I knew I needed to take action.

 

After returning from the trip, I decided to study the science behind healthcare delivery. I was fascinated by the magnitude of complexity involved. I would spend all of my free time reading books on anyone remotely related to building healthcare systems from Otto Von Bismarck to Patch Adams. The irony of my fascination was that our country was dealing with healthcare reform at the time which only furthered my interest, and shifted my focus away from the clinical aspect of care. I decided then to leave the pre-med track and enter a healthcare management program.

After making this difficult decision I formed a club with like-minded individuals who had a passion for the underserved communities of the world called Free the Children. The purpose of our club was to build a school in Sierra Leone, West Africa. We found that education decreased disease prevalence within communities, and so for a country that had been torn by civil war for decades we focused our efforts in this particular area. After three years of giving lectures, motivational speeches, and fundraising we were able to give a significant portion to the school. The experience provided some relief for the burden I was carrying, but I still felt an overwhelming desire to do more.

During my final year of undergraduate studies I entered my concentration of healthcare management where I was exposed to the many different aspects of care delivery. Having a teaching hospital so connected to the university provided opportunities I would otherwise not have. I volunteered in one of the healthcare management departments at the hospital where I met key individuals who encouraged my dreams and gave me guidance on what I should do next.

Ultimately I was advised to apply to business schools in New York.  Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business, and during my first year in graduate school I went to an alumni event where I would meet Dganit Raviv (Dee), the Director of HR Analytics at Northwell Health. Dee and I really hit it off, and she provided great advice on how I would be able to penetrate the healthcare job market.

Six months later I began applying to internships for the summer and eventually found an opportunity for an operations internship with CVS Health. I spent my time working on a project to implement Medication Therapy Management within the region, and met many great people, but ultimately I really wanted a role within healthcare.

I mentioned to Barbara, my manager at the Zarb Career Center, that I was having trouble finding a suitable internship.  My manager then reached out to a friend at Northwell Health to see if there was any availability without my knowledge. A few days later I got a call from Dee, the woman I had met at the alumni event six months earlier. I came in for an interview and was offered a temporary full-time position as a strategy analyst. I was able to get my feet into health care while also completing my degree by joining Northwell Health’s internal temporary staffing agency, Flexstaff. A few weeks after I started Dee told me she would love to have me join her team permanently, and I have really enjoyed the experience. I’ve had so many opportunities to meet great people and attain valuable skills during my time here. I’ve worked on projects to increase revenue growth through people strategies concentrated on attaining and retaining talent through quality of hire initiatives, to implementing five year plans for merger and acquisition integration efforts. Perhaps my proudest accomplishment was creating a departmental Think Tank focused on capturing innovative ideas and driving the business forward. This started with three people and grew to over 40 dedicated individuals. I’ve been afforded many opportunities in my role, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to develop essential skills and tool kits for the future.

Northwell Health has provided me a great platform to learn new aspects of healthcare, and I hope to use these experiences to fulfill my dreams of building my own hospitals and clinics around the world.

Thank you to all of you who have played a role in shaping and guiding my future and special thanks to Northwell Health.

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Aspiring Nurse to VP of Telehealth Services: My Career Journey

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Aspiring Nurse to VP of Telehealth Services: My Career Journey

Written by: Iris Berman

From the time I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a nurse. I can remember even as a 6 year old bringing my friends in to our home to tend to their battle wounds from climbing trees, falling off bicycles or roller-skates and the like. My mother kept a constant supply of antiseptic cream and brightly colored Band-Aids for my use. That was the beginning. At nine years old my father had suffered a heart attack. I had learned some basic first aid in the girl scout troop and recognized his symptoms . I’d visit him (children weren’t allowed in the Coronary care unit in those days) and observe through glass partitions all that the nurses were doing.  I was sure then, that was what I wanted to do.

My very first job that would open the gate to involvement in the now Northwell Health system began over 30 years ago in Glen Cove Hospital even before it was ever part of the health system.  Starting as a per diem nurse gave me the opportunity to work in a variety of environments, but it was Critical Care that called to me, and it has served me well.

I had already moved into a position in the coronary care unit when Glen Cove became one of the first acquisitions to (at that time) NSUH. Maybe it was my family history, but I became very interested in at risk populations and volunteered to work on joint programs with the hospital and the American Heart Association.  The health system supported my interest and the program continued to grow. We began to develop a support program for patients with a variety of cardiac diseases. – all the while I continued to explore other options in my employment moving to the broader field of critical care.  I knew I wanted to go back to school (I already had my BSN). Because of the great tuition reimbursement program, I was able to return to school to obtain my MSN in Nursing Administration. Opportunity knocks in our health system; you just have to answer the door!

While attending school I became the critical care educator for Glen Cove.  The wonderful thing is that  while hired for a specific site, this roll enabled me to work not only on site but to collaborate on system wide task forces for things like stroke, CV disease and  other best practice programs. There were always opportunities to grow, and the leadership teams greatly encouraged, welcomed, and supported me.  I wrote and successfully was awarded a grant to expand stroke education. Being an educator allowed me to use my years of nursing knowledge to help others both on the patient front and in nursing and beyond.

A few years after becoming an educator an opportunity for a management position became available and again I received the full support from the leadership team.  I never would have imagined, even then, that I’d be where I am today. Because I have always been active in my professional organization of AACN (American Association of Critical Care Nurses) I had been increasingly aware of something called tele-ICUs (eICU®), part of an emerging field called telemedicine . When I saw that there was a director’s position for this program in our own health system, I jumped at the opportunity to apply. Low and behold I got the job. It seems that although I was based in a community hospital the work I had done over the years was recognized.   I can’t think of many other organizations as large as ours, where there is such accessibility and visibility to senior leadership.

I could go on but suffice to say that I have moved from Director of the eICU program to AVP for Telehealth and now VP for Telehealth services.   This highlights the opportunities and ability of our health system to be progressive, agile, and welcoming all at once.  I am one of the fortunate who truly loves going to work every day.  I am so proud to be part of this wonderful organization now known as Northwell. John Quincy Adams once said: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, earn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”. Because our Northwell Leaders are visionaries I have been allowed to dream, be and do more!

lbluetip Explore our teleheath career opportunities.

Picture: Iris (First woman on the left) with employees on her eICU team. 

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Turning a dream into reality – the birth of 3D bioprinting

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Turning a dream into a reality – the birth of 3D bioprinting

Written by: Todd Goldstein 

You might be thinking, what in the world is bioprinting and why would a team spend years developing it? Well, 3D bioprinting is the use of 3D printing technology with materials that incorporate viable living cells. The end product produced is tissue for reconstructive surgery. This type of technology can transform the way medicine is practiced. Just think about a world where organ donors are no longer needed – if you need a transplant of some sort, it can be printed on demand from your own cells while you wait. But before I get ahead of myself, let’s start at the beginning… 

My journey within Northwell Health started off 30 years ago when I was born at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. After a brief 20+ year hiatus, I returned in a very stereotypical way – I was a student who needed a side job with lots of shifts and flexible hours. After some investigation I applied to work per diem as a patient transporter at North Shore University Hospital, where I worked at night while I was completing my master’s degree. It was a perfect fit for me; I was able to converse with patients as I wheeled them around the hospital for their various tests and discharges.

As I was completing my degree, I applied and was accepted to the PhD program at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. I wasn’t sure what I specifically wanted to work on, but I knew I had a knack for technology and a new found appreciation for Orthopedics & Radiology.  I worked 4 years at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research completing my degree in the Laboratory of Orthopedics Research under Dr. Daniel Grande PhD. We spent countless hours working on 3D bioprinting of cartilage, bone, and tracheal tissue. The environment I “stumbled into” was one of collaboration, innovation, and patience. It was challenging, but very rewarding. The lab provided an environment filled with students, residents, fellows, physicians, and research scientists all working to further medical knowledge and create new treatments for patients in need. Anyone in the lab was able to “grab the bull by the horns” so to speak, and take on a project they deemed interesting. You took ownership and were able to see it through to the end.

One day, in walked two chief surgeons with the idea of tissue engineering lab grown tracheas. Dr. Lee Smith MD and Dr. David Zeltsman MD were interested in our capabilities within the lab and if we were willing to work with them on a non-orthopedic project. Dr. Grande said “Todd if you want to spear head this project, go right ahead, just let me know what you need.” Over the next two years we worked to build up a protocol to 3D bioprint tracheal replacements in the lab. It was our hope of one day transplanting a replacement into a patient – to restore their breathing would become a reality.

 

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Once I had the support I needed, we began right away. While we are not at a point to transplant lab grown organs, we are well on our way. To kick off this type of project we started to build our own 3D printer that could create our tissue since the commercially available printer options were extremely expensive. We took a desktop 3D printer, stripped it down to its guts, then using design software created new printer heads that could accept living cells within a jello like material. Many early mornings and late nights watching the 3D printer whirl around in circles placing layer after layer of cells, gel, biocompatible, and biodegradable scaffold materials were necessary to get this idea to become reality. After much trial and error we were able to print a living “breathing” lab-grown trachea.

In the beginning of 2016 the 3D bioprinter was submitted into Northwell Health’s Breakthrough contest where the winner received additional funds to further their research and make their scientific dream a reality. All of the 61,000 employees in our organization were able to vote on the breakthrough that they found the most significant in effecting patients care, and the printer happened to be the winner. Without Northwell’s support this project would still be just an idea. I have been able to take away important skills throughout this journey – whether it be about patient customer service, or a complicated statistical analysis of scientific data, without the Northwell Health family like environment I would still be wandering the halls looking for my niche. I have now graduated from the medical school and Northwell has created a unique roll for me as I share my time between the Orthopedics Lab and the Northwell Ventures Team serving as a technical analyst, as the hospital rolls out new innovative business ventures furthering our patient care capabilities.  I now get to help shape the innovative future of healthcare, both in and out of the lab, as we take ideas from the bench top and translate them to the bedside.

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Partnering with Make-A-Wish Foundation

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Partnering with Make-A-Wish foundation – two companies whose missions are aligned

Written by: Michele Grossman

One of the main focuses of Northwell Health is providing patients and their families with the best experience possible in situations they didn’t necessarily choose to be in. Most of us chose to work for a healthcare organization because of the intrinsic good with the services we provide, yet working in a corporate office you don’t necessarily get to see the impact your work has on patient experience.

Corporate HR’s office culture committee was created to plan fun events and activities for employees at the 1111 Marcus Ave offices. After raising employee engagement in our office we wanted to take our committee to the next level and help the community. Luckily, we discovered that Make-A-Wish was our neighbors in the building. They hosted a lunch-and-learn for our staff and we realized that their mission and our mission were aligned, and that our employees were interested in giving back to this organization. We decided to partner with them and have our employees work together to raise money to sponsor wishes for children with life threatening illnesses. Make-A-Wish committed that the children we would sponsor would be children who are being treated at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) – this would allow us to take patient experience to the next level.

 

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In May 2016 we kicked off the Make-A-Wish pilot with all of the Northwell Health corporate business areas. This would give us a chance to see if the program would be successful and give the corporate employees a chance to touch upon a level of patient experience they weren’t able to previously. When starting this program, our goal was to raise $10,000 (enough to sponsor one child’s wish) by the annual Walk for Wishes in September. Throughout the summer the corporate offices hosted a variety of fundraising events including the “Wall of Stars”, raffling off reserved parking spaces, wearing blue for Make-A-Wish, jeans days, raffling an Apple Watch, employee car washes, etc. All of these events led us to raise over $22,000, doubling our goal and allowing us to sponsor wishes for two children!

The two children we were picked to sponsor both were diagnosed with Leukemia and were being treated at CCMC. Seraphina, age 10, wished to travel to Paris and go to Disneyland while she was there. Alexander, age 18, wished to go on a tropical vacation so he was scheduled to travel to Hawaii. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the culture committee threw Seraphina and Alexander a send-off party before going on their trips and invited all of the corporate office liaisons to attend as a thank you for all of their hard work and fundraising efforts. It was a great day filled with beautiful decorations and all of Seraphina and Alexander’s favorite foods and desserts. Both families were so touched by what we did for them and it was so nice to be able to lift the spirits of these children. Since this pilot was so successful we were going to roll this program out to all of Northwell Health in 2017 so we can continue to raise the standard of care our patients receive, which goes far beyond the correct treatments, but helps them and their families mentally and emotionally. We look forward to helping more of our patients at CCMC throughout 2017 with the help of Make-A-Wish foundation. 

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From Intern to Full Time Employee

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From Intern to Full Time Employee at Northwell Health

Written by: Briana O’ Shaughnessy 

Before beginning my journey at Northwell Health, I received a B.S. in Community Health with a Minor in Sociology at SUNY Cortland. After walking at graduation in May, 2016 I began my internship with Northwell Health which was the culminating piece of my degree. The internship I held was very unique and an experience I will be forever grateful for. It was designed as a rotational program and the idea was to expose me to a variety of departments in corporate HR to help me decide where I wanted to focus. Over the course of 12 weeks I had the privilege of working with seven different teams and countless wonderful employees. Not only was the experience eye opening in regards to the career path I wanted to follow, but it was also a wonderful networking opportunity and allowed me to begin fostering productive working relationships. Perhaps the most helpful piece of information I took away was that almost every employee I talked to had one thing in common- their careers have taken many unexpected turns and that few are doing what they originally set out to do after graduating undergrad. These accomplished employees took advantage of  the unique and exciting opportunities provided by Northwell, and were not afraid to go outside of their comfort zone to find what they are passionate about. After hearing this, my fears of being a new grad who doesn’t know “what they want to do” started to disappear. I realized that I had my entire life ahead of me and that I could never possibly predict what opportunities would arise – all I knew for sure was that Northwell Health was the place that would provide me with them. 

One week before the completion of my internship on August 9th, I was offered a position through FlexStaff, Northwell Health’s internal temporary staffing agency. I was thrilled. Although this was not a permanent position, it was a foot in the door at the company I wanted to build a career with. I was hired as an Administrative Support Associate with the Workforce Readiness team. This team creates a pipeline for Talent and prepares our future workforce for healthcare careers. This is done through countless events and programs designed to introduce certain populations, such as students and veterans, to the countless career opportunities in healthcare that Northwell Health has to offer. After one day of spending time with this team during my internship I knew it was a perfect fit. The people could not have been more welcoming and I knew I wanted to be a part of the incredible work done here. Fortunately, three months after accepting the FlexStaff position, I was offered a full-time position as a Coordinator. I was so happy I would get to officially be a part of this team, and most of all I was so excited that I could continue the work I felt so strongly about and watch different programs and projects grow and develop.

I was quickly drawn to the work done with high school students. I have always had a passion for educating our country’s youth and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. The Spark! Challenge and Medical Marvels are two programs in particular that aim to introduce students to careers in healthcare that they otherwise may not learn about in school. These programs force the students to think critically and explore the many facets of healthcare. Another ongoing project I am involved with is college recruiting. This is an area I never thought I would be a part of, but am very happy that I am. My main goal here is to partner with universities to introduce them to open careers at Northwell Health.  I work with professors and career centers to link eligible students and alumni with our health system and explore opportunities that can benefit both them and us. This may be done by simply sending out a job description or setting up different events on campus or at one of our sites. Perhaps the most exciting part of my job is that our team is diverse in the populations we serve giving me a chance to learn something new every day on a variety of people. One day I could be working with college students, while another I could be assisting our Veteran Specialist with the veteran population, another day calling candidates to set up interviews for our elite nurse fellowships.

As a new grad I was extremely nervous to begin my journey outside of the classroom, however, to my pleasant surprise it has been wonderful. Northwell Health has welcomed me with open arms and in my seven months here has presented me with two outstanding opportunities. I am excited to see what else my journey has in store.

Picture: Briana is in the front left of the picture with the Center for Workforce Readiness Team that focuses on the communication with students in high school and college as well as nursing externships, fellowships and Veteran relations.  

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Why I chose Northwell Health 27 years ago

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Why I chose Northwell Health 27 years ago, and continue to choose it today – a Q&A with Jill Donnelly, Nurse Manager at Huntington Hospital 

Q: How long have you been working here?

A: I have been a Registered Nurse with Northwell Health since February 13, 1989.  I started working at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJ) and transferred to Huntington Hospital June 17, 2013.

Q: What positions have you had since being in the health system?

A: When I started at LIJ I worked as a Labor and Delivery RN.  I stayed in that position for 12 years and in December of 2000 I worked as a Pain Management Nurse within the anesthesia department on labor and delivery for the labor patients.  In January 2012, I changed positions to Quality Management at LIJ and I was responsible for core measures and also supported the quality measures within the anesthesia department. In June of 2013 I transferred to Huntington Hospital as a Quality Coordinator and at that time was supporting the OB/GYN/PEDS and Anesthesia departments in their quality program. 

Q: Has Northwell Health provided you with any career growth opportunities?

A: When I transferred from pain management to quality at LIJ, I had the opportunity to attend Beginnings.  This was extremely inspiring to me because our President and CEO, Michael Dowling, gave a presentation and asked each of us in the room where we would like to be in 5 years, or even 10, and inspired me to return to school for my Master’s degree in nursing administration. At this time I have only 2 more classes before I complete my Master’s degree and this has allowed me to climb the ladder with my career here at Huntington Hospital.  In February, I was chosen to become the Manager of the Nursery/Special Care Nursery and in September I became the Nurse Manager of the maternity unit as well. This has been a wonderful experience to grow my career.  I have been involved in many leadership classes at the eastern region level and also at the system level at the Institute for Nursing and at the Center for Learning and Innovation.  I was also able to attend graduate school because the health system pays, encourages and is supportive of nursing higher education. I am grateful for the opportunities the health system offers and I would not have been able to attend the program if their support was not available to me.

Q: What do you love most about working in nursing at Northwell Health?

A: I love all the opportunities available to nurses that allow us to continue to be a lifelong learners. I am proud to work for the largest private employer in New York State, and when people ask where I work I proudly say Northwell Health at Huntington Hospital.  So many of things I previously stated are the reasons I LOVE working for the system. I have worked here since I am 22 years old, going through many milestones in my life, and I have always felt that this organization is supportive of their nurses and honored home/work life balance. Not only am I proud to be a nurse in the system, but I have encouraged all new nurses that I meet to apply and work in a Northwell hospital.  I am extremely passionate about having people come to one of our hospitals that I even encouraged my daughter, who was actually born at LIJ, to seek employment and she now works in labor and delivery at LIJ. I am truly grateful for the opportunities Northwell has provided for me over all these years, and am excited to see what the years to come have in store for me. 

Picture: This group photo shows Jill (From left to right, she is the 5th woman in the back row) and some of the nurses in her unit.   

lbluetip Explore our unlimited career possibilities at Huntington Hospital.

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Navigating your engineering career at Northwell Health

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Navigating your engineering career at Northwell Health

Hear from Kory Stimpfl, Assistant Director of Engineering and Plant Operations, and Roger Arnott, Director of Engineering and Maintenance,  about why they chose Northwell Health as the place to grow their engineering career.

Why did you choose to pursue an engineering career at Northwell Health.

KS: Huntington Hospital, and through them Northwell Health, has been a staple of the community for my entire life. I was born at Huntington Hospital, so I am grateful for the chance to work here and help make it even better. I have had many family and friends that have been helped right here, and now I have the chance to use my engineering skills to help other peoples family and friends.

RA: I personally chose to come to Northwell Health because I wanted to work in a field where I could use my skills and abilities to help people.

Tell me a little bit about your background? Were you always in health care – if you weren’t, why did you decide to get into the field?

KS: I graduated college from SUNY Maritime College in the spring of 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a Coast Guard Marine Engineering License. Using this license I got a job as a civilian contractor with the US Navy. In this job I was on a team that took care of the engine room of one of the navy’s civilian ships. I worked for them for almost a year, during which time I was traveling all over the country and the world. I realized that I wanted something that was more stationary but also wanted to see how my engineering was benefiting people, because in my old job there was a much greater divide between myself and the “customer”. When I started looking for jobs, Huntington Hospital immediately stuck out because it would allow me the best of both worlds. As the Assistant director of Engineering I can use my engineering talents to help the hospital not only with the day to day facility operations, but also with the improvements to it going forward. Every day I know that the work that I am doing in the health care field will help save people’s lives, or at least help the medical staff save people’s lives.

RA: My career started in the Marine Industry after graduating from The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

After working as a Marine Engineer for almost 30 years, including operations in Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and much international travel, it was time for a change. My new path took me to Brooklyn, New York for the next five years and a large 46 high story building housing complex with a centralized power plant. An engineering opportunity then arose to come to Northwell Health Huntington Hospital.  I had grown up in Huntington, NY and the opportunity to work and help people at the very hospital I was born in was extremely appealing to me. This was my first endeavor into the Healthcare Industry.

What career growth opportunities does Northwell provide for you and all engineering professionals?

KS: Northwell health is a large healthcare system, and is always growing. As with any system this large, it begins to take on a lot of its own engineering and facility work. As an engineer within the system, there are opportunities to grow within the individual hospitals and into the Physical Assets department and beyond. As a young engineer, there is incredible room for growth within the system.

RA: I believe Northwell Health offers growth opportunities for engineering professionals in different ways. The many engineering responsibilities at a hospital afford engineers the opportunity to hone their skills and expertise in many different disciplines. In addition, Northwell Health is a large and ever growing organization. This allows one many opportunities for future career advancements.

Why would you encourage other engineers to work for our health system?

KS: Working in this health system allows you to have a direct impact on helping people. The sense of purpose here is incredible, all it takes is a walk around the hospital to see all the amazing things that are possible because of the work that our department does every day.

RA: If you are a person who desires work that is personally rewarding and professionally challenging, then Healthcare industry is a good field for you. Northwell Health is a great system because it believes in and fosters a culture where everyone is a caregiver to its patients.  You truly feel you are part of a coordinated team supplying patient care.

What new initiatives/ projects have you worked on?

KS: Since July I have been involved multiple projects including the commissioning of two new emergency diesels and testing of their associated transfer switches. I have participated directly in the patient’s environment through Environment of Care rounds and through mock Joint Commission inspections. I have also been involved in the planning of the installation of three new boilers and two new air cooled HVAC chillers. As these projects complete there are always new ideas and projects around the corner that need some input from our department. This ensures that the job will always be exciting.

RA: Since my start a few months back I have been involved in numerous projects of varying sizes. Although it was started before my tenure I have been working to finalize and commission our new Emergency Department addition and its associated 3 MW of emergency diesel power system. I have also been working on the design and construction for three Main boiler installations totaling 650hp, and a chiller relocation and replacement project for 800 tons of air cooled chillers. Both of these projects being simply the first phase of a two phase projects. Additionally, we are also doing work for a new Hyperbaric unit requiring the installation of an additional Oxygen tank and pad, re-powering from 208 VAC to 480VAC, installation of new lab testing equipment, installation of new nuclear medicine equipment , replacement of an Underground fuel oil tank and new air handling equipment. This is all happening coincidentally with multiple departmental re-locations and renovations as well as the day to day repairs and maintenance of the hospital. It is a busy pace covering many Engineering disciplines but is extremely rewarding.

norw-brightgreen-notch Interested in joining our team of engineers? Explore our unlimited career possibilities today. 

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From Barracks, to Business

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From Barracks, to Business

Read about Samantha Rosario’s experience within the Military, and how our Barracks to Business Workshop prepared her for a career at Northwell Health.

Written by: Samantha Rosario 

Each branch of the military bears a massive responsibility when training new soldiers. New recruits are trained in hand-to-hand combat, at the weapons range, and how to work together as a cohesive team. Preparedness of soldiers is essential to ensure not only a victory for the mission, but God-willing, a safe return for everyone. Once the solider has returned and his/her term is complete, it is almost as if the weight of responsibility has lifted off the branch’s shoulders and soldiers are given minimal training in their next mission in life, transition to the civilian world.

 

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A popular myth, and one I foolishly believed, was that finding a job, as a veteran, was going to be easy because employers love the skills and discipline veterans possess. While employers appreciate those traits, the real issue is if the applicant cannot communicate his/her skills on a resume. Northwell has recognized this dilemma and has committed itself to be the standard in job preparation training. Over the summer, I was lucky enough to attend one of these training seminars, entitled Barracks to Business, led by Anthony Silvera. During the course of 4 hours, I was challenged to clarify my skillset and experiences, determined my career goals, learned the importance of a job description and gained confidence for an interview. The success stories were inspiring and newly gained knowledge felt invigorating; that night I started revising my resume and focusing on finding a career within Northwell. One of the most significant aspects of seminar was the support given after it ended and with the support of Mr. Silvera and his team, I eventually gained employment with Northwell. I am honored to work for an organization that dedicates so many resources to serve the needs of our country’s veterans and look forward to doing great things in my new role.

Are you, or someone you know, a Veteran who is looking to build their professional skill set?

triangle_blueRegister to attend our next Barracks to Business Workshop today.

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Q&A with Adam Becker, HMP Mentor and Graduate

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From pre-med to Financial & Operations Management Senior Associate, Adam moved from Chicago to New York to began his career at Northwell Health as Healthcare Management Program intern. His experience as an intern opened his eyes to health care and his experience solidified his decision to accept a full time position post graduation in the administration department at North Shore University Hospital.

Read Adam’s Q&A about being an HMP intern, now HMP mentor, and how the program was a foundation for his career.

Why did you want to participate in the Healthcare Management Program (HMP) and how did you hear about it?

When I began my undergraduate studies at Union College, my initial plans had been to pursue the pre-med track, with the ultimate goal of one day becoming a Physician. Upon taking Intro to Chemistry during one of my first classes at Union, and seeing the grade that I received at the end of the term, I quickly realized that this path would not be for me! Fast forward to my junior year, by that time a declared political science major, I remained eager to find opportunities and experiences that would allow me to pursue a role in healthcare, but in a non-clinical capacity.

While the majority of my internship search efforts were focused on opportunities related to health care policy, I stumbled upon a unique internship experience that was offered by Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System). The Healthcare Management Program at Northwell Health is an internship designed to provide students with first-hand knowledge and insight into the field of healthcare administration. This seemed far-removed from my initial interests in policy, but also a far destination for a student originally from Chicago. 

After speaking with members of the Northwell team, that unbeknownst to me would soon become my colleagues and mentors; I realized that applying to the Healthcare Management Program would be the perfect opportunity to explore my interests in the healthcare field. By participating in the Healthcare Management Program I could fuse my interests in healthcare, business, and policy in a way that no other program or opportunity could provide.

Can you tell us about your experience in the internship?

As a participant in the Healthcare Management Program I developed the skills required to succeed in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The internship provided me with an opportunity to explore the field of hospital administration through real project work lead by executive mentors. From the relationships that I developed, to the foundational knowledge gained in both analytics and project management, the internship was a phenomenal experience for my professional growth. Furthermore, the opportunity to learn from, and engage with, executive leadership, clinical leadership, and others, afforded me a unique perspective into the daily roles and responsibilities of healthcare administrators. By gaining exposure to world-class professionals, combined with challenging and exciting project work, the Healthcare Management Program reaffirmed my passion for health care, but more importantly, the experience served as the onramp for my career in health care administration.

After participating in the HMP, what made you decide to take a full time position at Northwell Health in our Management Associate Program as a Financial & Operations Management Associate?

Through my participation in the Healthcare Management Program I gained the skills necessary to be able to succeed in a dynamic professional landscape. As a result, many of the tools that I developed in the internship provided me with the ability to engage with a variety of different organizations, including financial ones, about potential career opportunities. Although I was intrigued by entry-level positions offered by the other companies, I realized that these institutions could never offer the one component of working in health care that I enjoyed the most: the opportunity to impact the life of a patient.  

My decision to join this organization in the Management Associate Program (MAP) was made for that simple reason: to wake up each morning knowing that in some way shape or form I could impact the life of another. The passion that I felt to continue to grow in the organization that had paved my professional foundation, combined with a desire to pursue a career in healthcare was the two main contributing factors towards my decision of joining the Management Associate Program.

How was it mentoring an HMP intern this summer after going through the program yourself?

After having been a participant in the program myself, the opportunity to mentor three Healthcare Management Program interns this summer was a phenomenal experience for me both professionally and personally. From a professional standpoint, just as the Healthcare Management Program provided me with an opportunity to learn a skill set in analytics and project management, mentoring students this summer allowed me to develop my own management skills and style. It was a great experience to be able to train others on the same tools that I had been taught when I had gone through the program just a few years prior. 

On a personal level, the investment that I had in the program as a former participant made the dedication level to the success of the internship experience that much higher. My goal for the summer was to ensure that the students had as beneficial of an experience as I had, if not better.  As one of their mentors, I wanted to provide them with as many opportunities to develop their skill set, form professional relationships, as well as encourage them to cultivate the same passion for health care that I had gained during my own internship experience. The mentorship experience was tremendously rewarding and I am glad that as a former participant I had the opportunity to help others begin their own professional journeys.

purpletip Our 2017 Healthcare Management Program is now open for submission. Become part of our 61,000 strong and submit your resume today. 

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Meet our Vice President of Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Service Lines

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Meet our Vice President of our Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Service Lines, Nina DePaola  

Why did you become a physical therapist?

I knew from personal experiences at a young age that I wanted to go into healthcare related to improving ones quality of life. In order to pursue this I spent time volunteering in high school and I observed physical therapy which inspired me. My goal at the time was to help those with cancer and improve their day to day function and strength during treatment and recovery. Through my physical therapy education and training I became interested in working with a variety of those in need-including those with sports, cardiac, neurological, amputees, and orthopaedic conditions. Most importantly a physical therapist has the ability to motivate and teach an individual to become more independent and enjoy each day.

How long have you worked for Northwell health?

I will be celebrating my 30 year anniversary in 2017.

Can you talk about your career profession within the health system?

I began as a staff physical therapist at NSUH Manhasset. I then pursued my masters in administration, with the intent to go into a physical therapy private practice. About 5 years later I was offered an opportunity to start a small outpatient orthopaedic physical therapy program for the hospital. This small program has grown over the years to many sites and is called STARS (Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Services).  The STARS team continues to this day and celebrates exceptional service, engagement and care for many types of patients in need of physical and occupational therapy. I was asked approximately 15 years ago to oversee the Rehabilitation Service Line for our growing health system, and shortly after that I was asked to oversee the Orthopaedic Physician Service Line.  Now our two service line teams have grown many programs, centers, facilities and offices in many markets throughout the region.

What do you like most of the administrative role of rehabilitation?

Once I became a physical therapist I started developing programs and I really enjoyed initiatives that resulted in impacting many more than just the 10 patients a day that I was treating. It is also very rewarding to help those with a passion for what they love to do create better patient care. That motivated me to grow and I was asked to do this more formally – thus starting my career ladder into administration. My most proud achievement to date has been to celebrate the successes of others and the accomplishments of many individuals who have helped create better ways to offer care to those in need. On the business end a particular goal is to volume build. Areas of our teams include marketing, community outreach, meeting with societies, care organizations and advocacy groups in order to meet their needs, building new service communities and promoting a personal touch to everyone and everything we encounter in corporate healthcare. In corporate healthcare, it has been helpful to be a voice as a physical therapist- to represent the profession and yet align strategically with the health systems mission.

What kind of experience and settings are available to therapists within Northwell Health?

Within Northwell there is just about every variety of therapy and rehabilitation. We have hospital based therapy, skilled nursing- short and long term care therapy, acute inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient therapy and homecare. We treat all ages from pediatrics to geriatrics and have just about every specialty program from sports and spine care to joint replacements, neuro rehab, brain injury and lymphedema care. Part time and full time positions which offer flexible hours are available in many of our settings that help promote a work- life balance.

Why is Northwell Health special?

Northwell health is the largest employer for physical therapists in our region. Many employment options are available related to location and specialty. The overall culture of Northwell is one of teamwork, caring, communication, respect and a great family feel. Employees within Northwell Health truly care about each other and enable change for improvement and what best meets the needs of the patients. As a physical therapist we tend to have the same values of teamwork, communication and motivating others so it marries nicely with the culture of Northwell health.

What opportunities are available for therapists at Northwell Health?

A physical therapist within Northwell Health has many opportunities for additional clinical education, research, program development or leadership growth through the offering of a management track. The Center for Learning and Innovation that has many courses to help develop leadership skills and an understanding of healthcare. There is tuition support available for those who go on to advanced education. There are many cultural activities that help build teamwork with physical therapists and other professions such as nurses and physicians- this makes Northwell Health unique.

Can you speak to the relationship between our Physicians and our Physical Therapists throughout the health system?

We have thousands of physicians who work with our physical therapists in every setting. A physical therapist typically receives the referral to offer care but our communication and partnership to give the patient exactly what they need is very important. Our physicians include orthopedists, neurologists, surgeons, internal medicine and oncologists. There is a very good relationship and mutual respect between physical therapists and physicians concerning the development of programs, education of the community, prevention and treatment of disability in patients.

What would you like to say to our Physical Therapists employees during PT month?

PT month is a time to celebrate for all we that we are able to do for patients and for each other. Northwell Health continues to grow and our expanding workforce of therapists is very strong, well-qualified, well respected and outstanding in their field. This is a time to celebrate the great services that we offer and the continued growth of our programs. A huge message of appreciation is sent to each and every therapist who is proud to be part of the Northwell Health Rehabilitation family. This is a month to celebrate who we are and what we do for so many. Our teamwork and our individual offering of quality care helps thousands and thousands of patients each year and we should congratulate each other offering such quality care in such a rewarding field and in such a great organization which is Northwell Health.

lbluetip Want to join our team of Physical Therapists? Explore our unlimited rehabilitation career opportunities.