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Mather Hospital has announced a new free training program for Certified Nurse Assistants that will pay students during their training and guarantee them a position at the hospital upon successful completion of the course and New York State certification exam.

“Today’s healthcare workforce shortage is not just a regional or statewide issue; it is a global concern that presents challenges for patient care delivery. There is a significant shortage of ancillary support staff such as CNAs, who are needed to assist our professional healthcare team in delivering the care we are committed to providing to our community residents,” says Mather Hospital CNO/ VP for Nursing Marie Mulligan, PhD, RN. “Individuals who successfully complete the four-week program and pass the New York State CNA exam will be offered entry level healthcare jobs. Participants who successfully complete the CNA program will have employment and benefits that will open opportunities for them to advance in their healthcare careers.”

The program will follow the American Red Cross training program, but instead of being an online course, students will learn in-person at the hospital. The trainees will be paid as Safety Care Associates — a new position at the hospital — and will meet their required 30 hours of clinical experience with patients in the hospital’s Transitional Care Unit.

The program is schedule to begin in November. Anyone interested should email JBalcuk1@Northwell.edu.


James Gottlieb, a physical therapist at Glen Cove Hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, helps a patient practice climbing steps as he prepares to be discharged.

Glen Cove Hospital has received “America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2022” ranking award from Newsweek. This prestigious honor places Glen Cove Hospital among the leading acute inpatient physical rehabilitation programs in the country — and one of the top nine in New York State. It is the only program on Long Island to be recognized. The list included 255 rehab centers in 25 states.

Newsweek’s report is the second national analysis in two months to recognize Glen Cove’s outstanding rehab program. U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospital 2022-20223 list also ranked Glen Cove 47th in the nation for its rehabilitation center, which provides comprehensive care to 1,600 patients annually.


NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery was recognized by Becker’s Spine Review as one of “America’s largest independent practices by number of spine surgeons,” ranking 8th out of the 16 independent groups identified.

NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery physicians

Northwell installs high-tech security systems.

Northwell Health has implemented new comprehensive detection systems that screen for weapons and contraband at the entrances of Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore and Lenox Health Greenwich Village in Manhattan as part of an effort to bring the technology to all hospitals in the health system.

The seamless walk-through system, Evolv Express, from Massachusetts-based Evolv Technology, allows for a touchless experience while screening for weapons. The screening process, monitored at each location by Northwell’s security team, is immediate and designed to avoid bottlenecking and slow lines associated with older detection screening processes and technologies.

The high-tech systems, which will also be installed at other facilities in the health system, are part of a larger Northwell initiative to maintain the safety of employees, patients and visitors. The effort also includes more resources and trainings for team members to enhance workplace safety, says Scott Strauss, Vice President of Security and Support Systems.


The American College of Cardiology has recognized Stony Brook University Hospital as the only hospital on Long Island to have achieved the prestigious Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention & Resuscitation designation in 2022. The designation recognizes the high-level of staff expertise and exceptional integration of the Stony Brook Cardiology Program, Emergency Medical Services and Cardiovascular Surgery Program. The accreditation also recognizes Stony Brook Medicine’s commitment to treating patients with chest pain. Stony Brook University Hospital is the only facility on Long Island to have received this accreditation during back-to-back cycles.


Catholic Health addresses food insecurity.

Catholic Health launched two new community partnerships as it continues to address the growing issue of food insecurity among Long Island residents.

Long Island Cares is providing Catholic Health emergency departments with food “to go” bags for individuals identified through screening as being food insecure. All individuals/families who staff identify as food insecure anywhere in the hospital will receive a bag of food when they leave. Each contains non-perishable food and contact information for Long Island Cares.

Catholic Health is also collaborating with Catholic Charities and Health & Welfare Council of Long Island to enroll individuals and families identified as food insecure in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program.

Catholic Health has been helping Long Islanders with food insecurity since 2017 when it launched a partnership with Island Harvest and Adelphi University. The team collaborated with the health system’s Catholic Health Home Care to create a program aimed at improving health and decreasing the risk of chronic disease for low-income individuals and families by providing healthy food, patient-tailored nutrition-and disease-related information to individuals identified as food insecure.


Cohen Children’s Medical Center opens the Pediatric Surgical Operating Complex.

Cohen Children’s Medical Center marks the opening of the Pediatric Surgical Operating Complex, a $110 million, 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art home for pediatric surgery.

The new complex features eight child-friendly OR suites with majestic photo walls that create a comforting environment. Potentially frightening surgical instruments are initially hidden, patients can enjoy their own music or videos before surgery and several play spaces populate the facility. The completion of this project will reduce wait times for pediatric and adult patients and transform care for the more than 8,000 patients who seek medical procedures at Cohen Children’s each year.


Catholic Health announces Mercy Hospital (top) and Catholic Health Home Care (bottom) as winners of the 2022 Pinnacle Awards for Quality, Safety and Experience/Courtesy Catholic Health.

Catholic Health presented its 2022 Annual Pinnacle Awards for Quality, Safety and Experience to Mercy Hospital and Catholic Health Home Care. The event, now in its eighth year, was held at the Tilles Center.

In the acute care category, Mercy Hospital won with its project Decreasing Health Disparities in Our Elderly Population.

Catholic Home Care won in the continuing care category with its submission, Use of Remote Patient Monitoring to Increase Adherence in Patients with Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

In the special projects category, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center won the Continuous Learning Award for In Support of Lifelong Learning: Creation of a Clinical Education and Simulation Science Center.

Catholic Health’s Emergency Department Service Line won Best System Transformation Project for Emergency Medicine Monoclonal Antibody Administration Program during COVID-19.

Good Samaritan Hospital won the first-ever High Reliability Bullseye Award for its submission Hat Trick! Cross-Training ICU RNs Achieves the IHI Triple Aim.

In the individual award categories, St. Joseph Hospital critical care nurse Kaci Snidersich won the Patient Safety Hero award, St. Charles labor and delivery nurse Elizabeth Hammer was the Golden Key Award Acute Winner and Good Shepherd Hospice nurse manager Karen Costello was the Golden Key Award Continuing Care Winner.


Northwell has committed to meet the Biden administration’s climate goal.

Northwell Health has joined the Healthcare Climate Council, and separately, New York’s largest health system signed on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Care Sector Pledge to reduce organizational emissions.

Northwell joined the Biden Administration for a White House event with HHS, where industry colleagues pledged meaningful action to decarbonize the healthcare industry and make medical facilities more resilient to the effects of climate change. Northwell has committed to meet the Biden administration’s climate goal to reduce emissions 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The HHS’ Office of Climate Change and Health Equity developed the health sector climate pledge in conjunction with the White House to help focus the health care sector’s response to climate change. Signatories have also committed to producing detailed plans to build climate resilience for their facilities and the communities they serve.

In addition to the White House pledge, Northwell has been granted membership into the Healthcare Climate Council, an organization of leading health systems that have committed to reduce their carbon footprint, build resilient health systems and communicate climate change’s health impacts.

The Healthcare Climate Council was established in 2014 by the Virginia-based international nongovernmental organization Healthcare Without Harm. Members implement innovative climate solutions and inspire and support others to act while using their trusted voice and influence to move policy and drive the transformation toward climate-smart health care.


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Source: MD News October 2022, Long Island Edition