People in the News

Mount Sinai South Nassau has named Alan Wong, DO, an experienced healthcare quality and patient safety administrator, as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs.

Alan Wong, DO

In his new role, Dr. Wong will be responsible for overseeing all operations related to the effective and efficient delivery of quality care. He also will facilitate medical staff interactions with hospital administration and the board of directors. In addition, he will oversee strategic planning as well as monitoring the effectiveness of management practices and productivity indicators. Prior to joining Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Wong served at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, New York, where he was Vice President for Patient Safety, Chief Quality Officer and Chair of Internal Medicine. He maintains board certification in five medical specialties: internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, critical care, neuro-critical care, and hospice and palliative care.

Dr. Wong attended medical school at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he earned his Doctorate of Osteopathy as well as a Master of Business Administration. He completed residency training in internal medicine and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at NYU Langone Long Island Hospital, formerly Winthrop University Hospital, in Mineola, New York.


Kenneth Roberts, whose 40-year career at Mather Hospital includes 36 years as President, was honored at a special ceremony at the hospital. One of the longest serving hospital presidents in New York State and only the third chief executive in Mather Hospital’s more than 92-year history, Roberts retired at the end of May.

Kenneth Roberts retires after 36 years as president at Mather Hospital

Under his leadership, the community hospital grew into one of the most respected and highly ranked hospitals on Long Island. Roberts oversaw multiple hospital expansions, including the Frey Family Foundation Medical Arts Building which houses the Infusion Center and the Bariatric Center of Excellence; the Calace Pavilion, which houses the newest patient care unit, 3 North, offices for the Internal Medicine Residency Program and the LIAP Conference Center; and the Cody Surgical Pavilion where talented surgical teams perform procedures in neurosurgery. During his tenure, Mather was designated and redesignated as a Magnet hospital for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice and was reaccredited in 2018. The hospital was also designated a teaching hospital with a growing graduate medical education residency program. As well, the hospital received multiple top “A” grades for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group.

When changes in the healthcare industry made the hospital’s independent status increasingly untenable, Roberts headed the search for a healthcare partner that led to the affiliation with Northwell Health. Roberts’ leadership and vision guided the hospital to its largest, most transformational building project in its history, a 38,000-square-foot addition that will include a new 25,000-square-foot Emergency Department and an expanded surgical center. This new building, expected to open in 2024, will be located next to the Cody Surgical Pavilion.

Roberts’ lasting impact was about more than bricks and mortar. More than a dozen year’s ago, when patient satisfaction scores were not what he thought they should be, he undertook a cultural transformation program — the Voyage to Excellence — that engaged employees and resulted in dramatically improved scores.

His tenure also was marked by his management style. Whether sitting down with employees in the cafeteria or stopping them in the hallways to chat, Roberts had a very personal style that encouraged employees to think of themselves as a family. Thanks to this culture, it is not uncommon for employees to work at Mather for 30 or 40 years or more, and to encourage their family members join them here as employees.


Northwell Health has appointed Fiona Levy, MD, as Medical Director at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where she will oversee the hospital’s medical staff, lead staff engagement and development, and participate in community outreach efforts for the largest provider of pediatric health services in New York State.

Fiona Levy, MD, appointed Medical Director at Cohen Children’s Medical Center

Dr. Levy, who will also serve as Vice President for Northwell’s pediatric service line, succeeds Peter Silver, MD, who was recently named Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer at the health system. Dr. Levy rejoins Cohen Children’s after a stint at NYU Langone Health’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, where she served as Executive Director of the Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care since 2014. She also was Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Pediatrics at the NYU School of Medicine. From 2011–2014, Dr. Levy served as an attending physician in the intensive care unit at Cohen Children’s as well as the hospital’s Vice President and Chief Quality Officer. Dr. Levy began her medical career at children’s hospitals in St. Louis and Dallas.

Dr. Levy earned her medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, a Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She completed her residency at SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse and a fellowship at Seattle Children’s, formerly Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

In addition, Nancy Palumbo, MD, who served as the hospital’s Interim Medical Director since January, has been promoted to Associate Medical Director for Cohen Children’s. Prior to that, Dr. Palumbo was Chief of Hospital Medicine. She joined Cohen Children’s in 2008.


Former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran

Former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a longtime Baldwin resident, has agreed to serve on the Board of Directors of Mount Sinai South Nassau.

The members of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Board of Directors are unpaid volunteers who lend their professional expertise and experience to provide oversight and input into the hospital’s operations. There are 20 board members, all of whom actively help raise money to fund hospital projects and serve on various board committees that provide strategic insight and review of hospital functions, such as finance, building and development.

Curran served as Chief Executive of the Nassau County government from 2018 to 2021, managing a $3.3 billion annual budget and the deployment of 7,500 employees who provided critical services to more than 1.3 million residents. She led the county’s Department of Health through the COVID-19 pandemic and championed the county’s COVID-19 vaccination program to achieve the highest vaccination rate in New York.

Under Curran’s leadership and backing for police, corrections, deputy sheriffs, fire marshals and emergency management, Nassau County earned U.S. News & World Report’s ranking as the safest community in America for two consecutive years. Curran’s years in public office are marked by transforming a chronic deficit into surplus, implementing policies to make government more transparent and accountable, and prioritizing smart infrastructure.

As a member of the Nassau County Legislature, Curran represented Baldwin, a community adjacent to the hospital. She worked with her colleagues in the legislature to improve public safety, public works and veterans’ affairs. During her term, she wrote and sparked the passage of legislation to support service-disabled veteran-owned businesses and provided relief to homeowners rebuilding after superstorm Sandy. She also founded the Baldwin Community Garden.

Prior to running for elected office, Curran served on the Baldwin Board of Education and worked as a journalist for the New York Daily News, New York Post, and the Herald Community Newspapers. She also served in the administration of former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. She remains active in community affairs.


Pain Institute of Long Island is pleased to welcome Jamal Khan, DO, to the Pain Institute of Long Island family.

Jamal Khan, DO

Dr. Khan, a native Long Islander, is a board-certified doctor in pain medicine as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation. He received his doctorate from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury. Dr. Khan completed his residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Stony Brook University Hospital, and afterwards completed a fellowship at the University of Minnesota in pain medicine.

Dr. Khan has professional memberships with the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, New York Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Eastern Pain Association, and other organizations. He is passionate about helping patients restore function and have a higher quality of life, which is reflected in his academic and professional pursuits.

Dr. Khan has a pain management philosophy that centers on the patient. He employs a multifaceted approach to pain management that uses medications, therapies and interventional procedures. His goal is to reduce pain and suffering in his patient population. He is proud to serve the Long Island community.


Share your story in the next issue of MD News. For consideration, please email your press releases to Press@LexMediaGroup.com.

Source: MD News April 2022, Long Island Edition