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Victory Greens, Lenox Hill Hospital’s rooftop garden, has recently opened for its 4th growing season

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Victory Greens, Lenox Hill Hospital’s rooftop garden, has recently opened for its 4th growing season

Written by: Pamela Johnson

What is Victory Greens?

Victory Greens, supported by both Lenox Hill Hospital (LHH[JS1] ) Administration and the health system’s GreenBERG, is a rooftop garden created for everyone who works at LHH to enjoy. Last year, I was given the wonderful opportunity to manage the garden, which I believe has turned out to be an even greater gift for me than the success we’ve had for the employees.

Last year, we hosted 8 Snipping Events that were attended by over 600 employees. At the event, employees had the chance to take home fresh herbs and produce from the garden and learn how to use them in new recipes, drink and more. Over 18,000 visits were made to the garden by LHH employees last year, a significant increase over the prior year. One employee who had never cooked with fresh herbs was so inspired by the garden’s bounty that she changed her entire eating habits. She lost 30 pounds and was able to go off of her blood pressure medicine.

Due to the success of last year, this year we are expanding the Snipping Events to include an educational component. We’ll be hosting programs targeting Body, Mind, and Spirit as well as a program on Nutrition and Cooking and one on Exercise. We’ll also be having our first “Mobile Garden” this season, which will allow us to deliver “snippings” to our colleagues at off-site facilities so they may enjoy products from the garden.

Benefits of our rooftop garden- patients and employees

Recent scientific studies have shown that is it critical for a person’s mental and physical health and overall well-being to have at least one direct touch with nature/day. Victory Greens allows us to have a touch of nature, even on a rooftop in NYC.

After a hard shift or a long day, the garden offers employees a place of solace, rest and fresh air, which is important after working inside all day or night. The rooftop garden also presents a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow employees, many of whom would, otherwise, never come into contact with one another. Numerous friendships have been formed over lunch or catching sun rays in the garden. In fact, the garden affords the opportunity to touch everyone in the LHH community including outpatients. Our herbs from the garden are used in patient meals as well as in the cafeteria and in the catered events we often host for guests.

Fun fact: There’s at least one species indigenous to every continent represented in the garden and nearly 100 varieties of plants, herbs, vegetables, and fruit are currently growing on the rooftop.

Giving back to our community

Victory Greens has also led to developing a wonderful relationship with our Community Partner, Harlem Grown. Harlem Grown is an organization whose mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy, productive, fulfilling lives. Through mentorship and urban farming, Harlem Grown increases access to, and knowledge of, healthy food for Harlem residents and provides garden-based development programs to Harlem youth. Our relationship with Harlem Grown began last summer and our programs and connections continue to grow. We have held a number of highly successful outreach events with the Harlem Grown community, including hosting a Teaching Kitchen event which offered information about nutrition, healthy eating and growing herbs and our most recent event in recognition of Earth Day, where we helped children from PS 197 plant flowers around their school. A mix of employees from clinical to non-clinical volunteered to participate in these events and they all have said their experience was as rewarding for them as it was the kids.

How it’s impacted my life

Personally, Victory Greens has had a profound impact on my life. Through the garden, I’ve been able to connect with colleagues I never would have met. I’ve had the opportunity to make a deep commitment to the community around us as well as to make a sincere pledge to help preserve the environment.  I’ve taken an active role in The GreenBERG, Northwell Health’s Business Employee Resource Group focused on environmentally conscientious initiatives. The mission of The GreenBERG is to improve the environmental impact of our facilities by advancing sustainable and socially responsible efforts across Northwell Health and in our communities.

From my involvement with Victory Greens and The GreenBERG, I’ve learned many things and have transformed my view of our planet. I now only wear clothing to work that is made out of sustainable materials, and I have developed a keen interest in trying to resolve recycling and other waste issues that plague hospitals. Who knows what solutions we may ultimately discover, but the magic of Victory Greens seems to be far reaching and highly impactful. Imagine…all that has, and all that may come from an extraordinary rooftop garden at Lenox Hill Hospital.

 

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Saving lives is my passion. A Paramedic’s story.

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Saving lives is my passion. A Paramedic’s story.

Written by Adrian Concepcion, Paramedic I

Why I became a Paramedic

My Northwell Health career began before I had even discovered the passion I had to help others. My mother, a Nurse, and my father, a Physician Assistant, both worked at hospitals that would one day become part of the Northwell Health family. Although I admired their work and saw them excel in their careers, I never pictured myself following in either of their footsteps. After high school and through the first few years of college, I worked at a number of jobs, but it was hard to see any of those jobs as a long-term career. It wasn’t until I took an EMT- Basic course that I immediately realized, “This is it. This is my passion.” I get to come to work, help people improve their lives, and even save lives on a daily basis.

At a young age, my grandfather told me to find a career that I loved, a role that would make me want to wake up in the morning and go to work every day. If you can do that, he said that I would never work a day in my life.

Joining Northwell Health

After I completed the EMT – Basic course, I started working at various EMS companies, but I had a desire for more. I wanted to be able to make a bigger impact on the lives of my patients and I wanted to work for a company that shared the same goals as me. I began working night shifts as an EMT and started attending Stony Brook University’s Paramedic Program during the day. One year later, I graduated at the top of my class and started to practice as a Paramedic.

I started looking and applying to Northwell Health’s careers website at every opportunity. I would apply for any position I was qualified for with the plan that once I got in the health system I could transfer into CEMS (Center for Emergency Medical Services). Then finally in January 2016, while waiting for the next emergency call at work, my phone rang and it was Northwell Health- the day had finally come. During the interview and on-boarding process, every individual I had the pleasure of dealing with made me realize that I could not have made a better choice than becoming part of this organization. Since my hiring as an EMT-Basic I was upgraded to Paramedic I in under a year.

“I was made for this”

Academic accomplishments aside, what I am most proud of is being able to do what I love for my patients. I can truly say I treat every one of my patients as if they were my own family and it has paid off. I have received numerous awards and stars on myRecognition, our internal employee recognition platform, and accomplishment pins from supervisors and fellow staff members. Numerous patients and their families write letters to thank me and my partner for going above and beyond to make a stressful, scary situation easier on them.  When our CEMS EMTs and Paramedics show up, it’s usually due to an emergency situation. Knowing the community can trust the EMTs and Paramedics to take care of them or their family members and that CEMS is leading the way in its industry allows them to take a sigh of relief.

I know I was “made for this,” because of the letters I receive from a patient’s family thanking me for taking care of their loved one or another patient has called to say thank you. Every day I wear my recognition pins proudly. It reminds me to always uphold my organization’s values and it shows the pride I have for my job. They also ensure that I never forget how blessed I am to work as a Northwell Health Paramedic.  My plan is to soon advance my career even further and become a Critical Care Paramedic.

Most importantly, every time I put on my uniform it reminds me that I have another chance to make a difference or save a life. After all, the simple act of caring creates an endless ripple that passes from person to person.

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Made for this™ – our employee promise

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Made for this™ – our employee promise

By Elaine Page, Chief People Innovation Officer

Why did we develop our employee promise?

Our employee promise defines our experience as employees. We wanted to be able to truly articulate who we are and what we do. It’s what you get, for what you put in. In other words, it’s the deal. Made for this defines what our “best days” look like, so we can create more of them for everyone, every day.

We wanted to be able to differentiate our culture and describe what sets us apart – in health care and beyond. This is extremely important because every single person, regardless of their position or the facility that they work at – is truly a part of what makes us special.

Our employee promise will give us a competitive edge – not only will it help us develop, motivate and retain the great people we already have working in the organization, we’ll be able to use it to attract the best new people.

Our journey to create our employee promise

We created an employee promise that proudly and authentically expresses our culture. 2000 employees in 74 sessions— from across various roles and facilities — shared their experience of what it was really like to work here —and didn’t hold back. Their voices were powerful, meaningful and true and their conclusion was clear: being made for this is what sets us apart. Made for this is how we define the Northwell Health difference.

Thanks to their honesty, we now have an incredible employee promise to be proud of. Made by our people, for our people.

Our team members described what a great day looked like and what a challenging day looked like. They said that when they look at their overall experience of Northwell Health, the good times outweigh the tough times. The “best days” outweigh the worst. But, we all want more “best days.”

Made for this – for our people, by our people

We all own the culture of Northwell Health and our experience at work as employees and we believe the culture is ours to shape.

Our team members bring individuality to how we care for people – our patients, community, and each other. We’re not like everyone else….we’re unique and our promise celebrates that. Our reality is powerful, emotional, hard, funny and wonderful, all at the same time. And that’s OK. Because we are a part of something great – we’re made for this.

Are YOU made for Northwell Health?

By creating an employee promise we’re now able to hire the best industry talent that perfectly fit within our culture. We’re flexible, hardworking and not afraid to push boundaries. If you think you’re made for this, check out a role with us – we’d love to welcome you to our Northwell Health family.

blue-triangle Find out more about our employee promise here.

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At Northwell Health our laboratory professionals push boundaries to go that extra mile.

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At Northwell Health our laboratory professionals push boundaries to go that extra mile.

“Northwell Health has the best laboratory teams in the state of New York. They provide you with lots of opportunities to flourish and grow.”

–Munazza Naseem, Pathologist Assistant, Northwell Health Laboratories

Northwell Health leads with innovation and breaks with convention. We continually look to advance our laboratories. The greatest component of delivering exceptional laboratory services begins with our employees.  We will provide you with the opportunity to spread your wings and define your healthcare career.

During Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, we honor those whose clinical expertise and compassionate commitment to excellence drive our exceptional care forward. Our people are inspired by the knowledge that behind every test and every procedure is a person who deserves our best at all times.

Throughout the week, we’re showing appreciation for our medical laboratory professionals with hot breakfast buffets, ice cream, games, and more. Our employees also celebrate by finding unique ways to give back to the community through events like a charity ZUMBA class and paint nights. To add an extra element of fun during this special week, employees wear their favorite team jerseys. These are just some ways that we are recognizing the contributions and impact that laboratory professionals have at Northwell Health.

Northwell Health is where the talent, expertise and knowledge of our laboratory professionals impacts our patients’ lives and contributes significantly to improving healthcare outcomes. Soon, we’ll make an even greater impact on our patient care. By 2018, our centralized laboratory we will be the largest hospital-based integrated laboratory in the country performing over 55 million lab tests annually. This translates into tremendous growth opportunities.

“When you work in a Northwell Health laboratory, you know you are connected with other lab professionals who are there to help one another.”

–Young Choi, Lead Medical Technologist, Lenox Hill Greenwich Village

“Northwell Health gives me endless opportunities to expand and improve upon my skills, abilities and knowledge that I can then use to benefit the patients and communities we serve.”

–John Shao, Medical Technologist, Northern Westchester Hospital

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Why Northwell Health: Volume I

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Why Northwell: Volume I

The place to go to accomplish your goals

In 2016 Laura Iacono, the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit (NSCU) Nurse Manager at North Shore University Hospital, helped the hospital obtain the prestigious Silver Beacon Award. Her passion for staff development, professionalism and empowerment has resulted in the NSCU’s achievement of 60% advanced certification by bedside nurses and 70% Clinical Ladder Nurses. The NSCU is a leader in quality metrics, with a 66% reduction in CAUTI, 100% reduction in CLABSI, 75% reduction in pressure ulcers and a 25% reduction in falls in 2015. Iacono was also the recipient of the Nurse Leader Excellence Award at North Shore University Hospital and the Nurse.com GEM Northeast Reginal Winner for Nursing Leadership.

“This is not an award for my accomplishments, but an award that tells the story of a team committed to excellence every day with every patient,” said Iacono when she received the GEM award. She pointed to North Shore University Hospital’s neurosurgical ICU unit winning the AACN Silver Beacon Award for Excellence and the process she and fellow nurses pursued as her proudest moments.

“Now they [the nurses] know the strength of the team is so much stronger than the individual,” Iacono said.  She said the Beacon award confirmed her ability to encourage and empower her staff – and the staff in turn showed a positive attitude on the unit, even under difficult circumstances.

The decision to stick with what she knew best and what she enjoyed most—neuroscience nursing—has been instrumental in her practice. “It excites me, it drives me and inspires me every day,” she said.

Iacono offered some words of wisdom to new nurses: “Always ask questions of senior nurses, nurse leaders, physicians and NPs. You will not learn everything if you only rely on your bedside care to gain knowledge.”

With 30 years of neuroscience nursing behind her, Iacono recalled how strongly she felt about the specialty when she began her first position on a neuroscience unit, “I felt I was the luckiest nurse in the hospital.”

An early mentor, Beth Honan, was the educator who passed on to Iacono a depth of knowledge and later met with her and other nurses weekly in preparation for the neuroscience certification exam. “I would watch her talk to physicians about patients and see how the physicians respected her knowledge and judgment, and I knew I wanted to be just like her,” Iacono said of Honan.

Iacono offered some more practical advice: “If a manager, leader or mentor asks you to do something beyond your comfort zone or even outside of your area of interest, say ‘Thank you for the opportunity,’ then take that opportunity and work with it to the end. They may see something in you that you do not see in yourself. You will be surprised at what you can do.”

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Why you should choose a Human Resources career in Healthcare

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Why you should choose a Human Resources career in Healthcare

Over the years Human Resources professionals have looked at many different industries besides healthcare to grow their career, but with the constant advancement of HR strategies within health systems there isn’t a better time to become a part of New York State’s largest private employer’s team. Hear from Irene Faranda, Associate Executive Director at South Oaks Hospital, about why she chose to pursue an HR career within healthcare and what it means to her to be a part of Northwell Health. 

Q: Please explain why you chose to pursue your career at Northwell Health.

A: I grew up in Queens and Northwell Health’s  Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC) was the hospital in our community.  When I was in my early 20’s my mom got very sick and was a patient at LIJMC as well as Hospice Care Network, a proud member of Northwell Health.  I remember the great care that both my mom and family received during our difficult time.  Although my mom passed, I will never forget how supportive and caring the employees were.

When I was graduating college I saw an opportunity at Hospice Care Network for an HR Generalist position.  I knew that I needed to be part of an organization that did such rewarding work so I explored the position.  What better way to enter the field of Human Resources!  I worked there for two years and really felt like I was giving back.  I did eventually leave to work in a corporate HR Manager role but after eight years away, I realized that I needed to go back to healthcare and continue to support their great mission and staff.

A job posting found its way to me for a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) Director role at LIJMC and I decided to pursue it.  The opportunity appealed to me because it was a strategic business partner role working directly with the hospital leadership team as well as front line staff.  That is how I found my way back to Northwell Health.

Q: Please explain your career progressions throughout the years.

A: When I returned to Northwell Health at LIJMC I assumed the Human Resources Business Partner role.  During my first year I was embedded in the operation, focused on building relationships and led employee engagement and talent management efforts for my work groups of 1000+ employees.  I was also able to build my competence in labor relations.  I was part of a great campus HR team that was not only supportive but fun.

After my first year, the lead HRBP role opened at Zucker Hillside Hospital (ZHH) with 1200+ employees.  Supporting the field of behavioral health is a great experience and I found a calling working in a facility with this population of patients.  In the lead Business partner role, I was a member of the Executive Leadership team and able to develop strategy and lead HR and Patient experience programs that contributed to the facility achieving its business goals.  I was also able to work on corporate projects such as the myrecognition program and acted as a thought partner on various talent management initiatives.  I worked in this role for two years.

An opportunity then presented itself that would expand my responsibilities and I moved to South Oaks Hospital  to be the lead HRBP.  South Oaks is also a behavioral health facility but has a three hundred bed nursing and rehabilitation center on the campus with a total of 1300+ employees.  I have been in this role for a year now and it has been an amazing experience.  Similar to ZHH I am a member of the executive leadership team working to develop and executive our strategy to build leadership capabilities, employee engagement and workforce planning to enhance our patient experience. I am also leading the HR and change management efforts to integrate this facility into Northwell Health’s HR programs and technology.

Q: What does it mean for you to be a part of Northwell Health’s Human Resources team?

A: Overall, Northwell Health has provided me the opportunity and development to become a strategic HRPB and a member of the facility leadership team.  I truly feel valued by the organization for my contributions. Being part of an organization of 61,000+ great employees, working together to help people, and who are setting the trend in healthcare makes me proud to tell people that I work here (oh and it is pretty awesome to not have to travel to the city every day to go to work!)

 

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The future of HR careers within Healthcare – Q&A with Chief People Officer, Joe Moscola

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The future of HR careers within Healthcare – Q&A with Chief People Officer, Joe Moscola

As we celebrate Healthcare Human Resources Week we spoke with Chief People Officer, Joe Moscola, about his own transition from Physician Assistant to a Human Resources professional, as well as the transformation of HR careers within healthcare and the amazing team he has throughout the many facilities within our organization.  

Can you please tell me about your career progression and what led you into an HR role?

I started my career as a Cardiac Surgery Physician Assistant.  Coming out of training there was nothing I wanted to do more and so I begged for my first job as a new graduate.  After practicing for a number of years, I had this nagging feeling that would not go away that I had more to give.   My career goal had always been to help change people’s lives which a clinical role certainly allowed me to do but I felt like I could make an even bigger impact.

Unsure of what to do next, a mentor of mine encouraged me to go back to school and “do something about it”.  Upon receiving a Master in Business Administration I went on to become a project manager outside of the health system however quickly returned taking on a number of operational roles throughout the health system.

While having the privilege of holding the role of SVP of Ambulatory Operations our President and CEO Michael Dowling approached me about taking over as the head of Human Resources.   This was during a time when the role and future of HR in organizations across all industries was being called to question.  Michael’s offer immediately intrigued me because I felt like this type of a role would further allow me to advance my career goal.

Now having been in the role for some time I look back at the last number of years and consider myself very lucky to have been given this opportunity.  The work we do and the value we provide to our most valuable asset, our people, is a privilege.

How have HR careers in healthcare changed over the years? How do you see them developing in the future?

Over the past decade, top healthcare executives have been relying more and more on HR for innovative and data driven business strategies.  In the world of big data and more advanced technology, HR professionals have needed to be data and digitally savvy, focusing on measurable actions that move the business toward its goals.  This has transformed traditionally transactional HR roles into more strategic ones.

Within the Health System, our HR team has embraced that change.  We continue to move away from just the day-to-day management of HR operations and have focused on becoming true partners with the business.  This has resulted in HR’s greater commitment to workforce planning, shaping culture and the employee experience, coaching and developing leaders, building talent pipelines and empowering managers by driving self-service.  Given that we are a healthcare organization, we’ve also had the ability and support to drive more HR roles within the wellness space, focusing on the holistic well-being of our employees.

As technology continues to advance and we really focus on the overall experience our employees, new roles will develop within HR.  These roles will require advanced skill sets.  Our HR professionals will need to be more analytical and enablers of change, with a focus on supporting a diverse and inclusive environment.

How does HR within Northwell impact our organization?

We support business strategy and help to maximize the potential of our strongest asset, our people.  We focus on the well-being of our employees within our culture of caring, innovation and safety, enabling them to be their best, so they can take care of others.

We affect the business from the hiring to retiring of our employees, ensuring that we have the right people in the right jobs at the right time in an environment that values diversity and fosters inclusion.  We empower our current and future leaders by providing development opportunities and support along their journeys.  We help ensure that our employees are rewarded appropriately and recognized for the great work that they do.

What would you like to say to our HR employees during their recognition week?

Thank you!  I am so proud of this team and all that we have been able to accomplish together.  Our people are the backbone of this organization and we affect them every day.  The work that we do matters.  By providing support to our employees we enable them to do their job of providing care to our patients effectively and compassionately.  Every patient that chooses us to take care of them deserves exceptional customer experience and the highest quality of care possible.  Because of you, our employees are able to provide that.

 

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From the United States Air Force to our Veteran Program Specialist

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Picture: From left to right, Lyndon is the 5th person standing near the middle 

From the United States Air Force to our Veteran Program Specialist

Each year at Northwell Health we set the goal to help as many Veterans as possible, and without the help of our Veteran Program Specialist, Lyndon Chichester, we wouldn’t have been able to hire over 500 veterans last year alone. It’s with great pleasure that I was able to sit down and speak with him the other day to learn about his transition home and what it means to him to help others who are going through the same process. 

On April 24 2001 at Fort Hamilton Military Base in Brooklyn, NY,  Lyndon Chichester, with right hand raised calmly uttered “I, Lyndon Chichester, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” With that statement Lyndon began an 8 year journey in the United States Air Force. During this time he was a Computer Network, Switching, and Cryptographic Systems Specialist, stationed in Arizona and Virginia, both during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Lyndon also completed various technical and military training in Texas and Mississippi. He later separated from the Air Force as a Staff Sargent at Langley AFB in October 2008, and received an honorable discharge. Subsequently, Lyndon moved to New York and attended New York University School of Professional Studies, where he earned a BS Degree in Leadership and Management Studies with a concentration in International Business and Global Management.

When Lyndon graduated in May of 2012 he started applying online to many openings at various well-known companies and was surprised when calls to interview weren’t coming in as frequently as he expected. “I felt like I was the toast of the town when I graduated. I thought that because I was a Veteran with a Bachelors Degree there was no way I would go the whole summer of 2012 without a job offer. However, that’s exactly what happened” Lyndon states. He also recalls, “I went from feeling high to feeling low real quick, and to add to that the financial pressure of maintaining a family was scary and daunting.”

 

As the season switched to Fall, Lyndon’s friend who was an IT contractor employed with another organization, gave him the business card of the IT recruiter that hired him. “When my friend gave me the business card I was very skeptical of my marketability as a candidate at the time and was expecting another failed attempt at employment. I didn’t know why I was calling this recruiter because my last IT related job was in the Air Force and 3 years had already passed.” The phone call was successful because Lyndon was invited in for a face to face interview at that organization’s Midtown office and was hired as an IT Account Executive, which in 3 months turned into an IT Recruiter role. “My two years at my previous organization was a great learning experience because it is where I learned what employers look for in candidates. I also learned the art of the resume, recruiting, and interviewing.” After four  years of IT recruiting experience in the staffing world, Lyndon joined the Northwell Health family as a Talent Acquisition Specialist in June 2016. In December of 2016, Lyndon was promoted and is now the Veteran Program Specialist for Northwell Health. In this role he leverages his background as an experienced recruiter and a United States Air Force Veteran to work with the Veteran community, helping to drive Northwell Health’s Veteran recruitment goals and efforts.

Lyndon said “It is an honor and a privilege to work with our Veterans. My passion is to help all of our Veteran applicants gain successful employment with Northwell Health. Veterans bring an unmatched array of strengths and experiences to the workforce including leadership training, integrity, teamwork, working among diversified groups in high pressure environments which gives them a high level of sensitivity to diversity and inclusion beneficial to productive corporate work environments. Our Barracks to Business Workshop leverages and translates the skills Military members have to civilian resumes that our hiring managers can simply understand. It’s always exciting to learn that we’ve hired another Veteran. That’s the mission.”

Every current service member, transitioning service member, or veteran should know that Lyndon is here for you: your needs will be met, your questions will be answered and you will never be alone in this process. He is passionate and dedicated to assisting Veterans in their transition from Military service to a promising Northwell Health career.

Sign up to join our Veteran Talent Community. 

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Her critical role in decreasing patient infections

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My critical role in decreasing patient infections

Written by: Sherley John

I knew I wanted to join Northwell Health because the entire system strives to improve our communities through education, conduction of research and providing quality healthcare. I chose North Shore University Hospital primarily because it is a teaching hospital and offered the William Randolph Hearst Critical Care Fellowship. I already knew I wanted to be a critical care nurse when I graduated and this unique fellowship that was offered was just the beginning of my journey. When I began my fellowship 10 years ago, it was broken down into three phases which included patient simulation experiences, didactic learning sessions and direct patient care assignments. The various phases provided the required tools and prepared me to be an effective Neurosurgical ICU nurse. Now, I  have the privilege of being a preceptor for the new fellows and thoroughly enjoy the experience.

After my fellowship ended, I received an RN position within the same department, Nerosurgical ICU (NSCU), and each day brings a new experience. Being at the bedside and advocating for my patients at a crucial time during their recovery is what drives me. The NSCU team is exceptional and I consider them my family. Over the years I have served in various capacities such as the co-chair for the Collaborative Care Council, Beacon committee member, peer interview panel member, and participate in various performance improvement projects such as Quiet time and serve as the CAUTI champion.  I am currently enrolled in the first Manhasset cohort for a Masters in Leadership program, which is a great opportunity provided by the health system.

I knew I wanted to continue to do great things for this health system and when a Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) problem arose in 2011 I was able to make a real difference in decreasing the percentage of patients that acquired an infection. The team that I was on developed an evidence-based CAUTI bundle that consisted of insertion and maintenance of indwelling urinary catheters (IUC), early catheter removal with development of a straight catheterization protocol and focused collaboration between nurses and physicians to review catheter necessity during patient rounds. Initially focus was on urine backflow prevention, creating criteria for when to obtain urine cultures and developing a protocol for straight catheterization based on bladder ultrasound results. Once we had our goals and a plan in place we began implementation from the years 2012 to 2014. In 2012 a 19% reduction in CAUTI was achieved. In September 2013, four NSCU nurses including myself were accepted into the AACN CSI Academy with CAUTI reduction as our leadership project and in 2014, the four CAUTI Champions hosted a week of CAUTI prevention. We created and distributed unit based t-shirts with the acronym NSCU (Nurses Stopping Catheter Usage), performed peer skills validation on perineal and IUC care and further revised the protocols for straight catheterization and bladder scanning. In 2014, CAUTIs were reduced by 24%, the number of device days were reduced by 31% and this outcome resulted in a, $112.000 saving. Various practices initiated on our unit were then presented at the hospital wide CAUTI carnival. This brought about a change in the culture of our unit and we have presented the results at various hospital sessions and conferences nationwide.  We continue to focus on sustainability and have noticed a significant decrease in all other Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI).

Working for this health system has provided me with all of the opportunities I could hope for in a nursing career – from fellowship training to becoming a mentor, complex cases, educational aid, and leadership opportunities – I wouldn’t want to have established my career anywhere else. All this was possible because of the commitment and dedication of the NSCU team. I would like to thank my manger, Laura Iacono, for her encouragement and guidance as well as, Tara Laumenede, our director. My gratitude to my AACN CSI mentors Marian Altman and Debbie Brinker who provided the necessary tools for the success of our project. A special thank you to my coach, Launette Woolforde, who was instrumental in the success of the CAUTI initiative and our CNO, Kerri Scanlon, who is an inspiration.

Picture: From left to right, Sherley is the second women on the left. 

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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.