Suffolk County Legislators Englebright and Trotta honor healthcare hero

Suffolk County Legislators Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) and Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) joined forces to honor Keri Moschetto, a licensed practical nurse, at the Legislature’s General Meeting on Tuesday, June 25.

All 18 County Legislators were asked to choose a healthcare hero to recognize at the monthly meeting. While Moschetto, an East Setauket resident, lives in Legislator Englebright’s district, as a nurse and unit coordinator at The Smithtown Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care, she works in Legislator Trotta’s district.

In addition to being honored for her everyday responsibilities, the LPN was recognized for an act of bravery.  

“Keri went above and beyond her call of duty earlier this year when upon hearing a Code Red signal at her workplace, she ran from the second floor to a first-floor room, where a fire was reported,” Englebright said. “Risking her own safety, she pulled a patient out of a smoke-filled room.”

Moschetto’s responsibilities at the center include a variety of duties, such as caring for 22 post-acute care patients and managing the nurses and certified nursing assistants assigned to her unit. She also maintains care plans, monitors labs, participates in family meetings, acts as a liaison between doctors and families/patients and coordinates MD visits.

According to her colleagues, the clinical venue continues to be a challenging place to care for patients, especially during and after the pandemic. The LPN has easily handled all these complex and difficult tasks with humility.

Dr. John Folan, the Smithtown Center’s medical director, said of Moschetto, “In all my career as a physician, providing care to innumerable members of our community, there are few, if any nurses, who compare with Keri’s skill, work ethic, and, most importantly, her compassion. She uniquely demonstrates medical knowledge much beyond her training.”