Hospital

Northwell Health’s Michael Dowling (left) and Dr. John D’Angelo. Photo by Lee Weissman/Northwell Health
Dowling will transition to CEO Emeritus in October.

Northwell Health has announced that after serving as Northwell’s first president and chief executive officer for more than 23 years, Michael J. Dowling will step down effective October 1, 2025 and transition to the role of CEO Emeritus, where he will serve in an advisory capacity, supporting the advancement of key public health initiatives, and focusing on teaching and writing, according to a press released on May 14.

Dowling’s transition marks the end of an extraordinary tenure characterized by significant growth, industry innovation, and a steadfast commitment to enhancing health for all. Over the past two decades, his visionary leadership has transformed Northwell from a network of Long Island-based hospitals into one of the nation’s ten largest health systems, renowned for its clinical, academic, and research excellence. Under his leadership, Northwell became New York State’s first integrated health system in 1992 and now includes 28 hospitals across New York and Connecticut, employing 104,000 individuals, with over 14,000 affiliated physicians, 1,000 care locations, and a comprehensive network of home care, rehabilitation, and end-of-life services.

As president and CEO of Northwell, Michael Dowling spearheaded the system’s remarkable expansion, championing investments in research, leading to the growth of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and positioning Northwell at the forefront of bioelectronic medicine. His dedication to innovative medical education through the Zucker School of Medicine, the Hofstra-Northwell School of Nursing, and Northwell’s Center for Learning and Innovation has cultivated the next generation of health care professionals.

Additionally,  Dowling has taken a leadership role in addressing gun violence, the leading cause of death among children in the United States, recognizing it as a critical health care issue. He has mobilized over 60 health care CEOs nationwide to support gun violence prevention. For 18 consecutive years, he has been named to Modern Healthcare magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare,” achieving the magazine’s #1 ranking in 2022.

NEWS_John-DAngelo-CEO

Above, Dr. John D’Angelo will succeed Dowling in the fall.

After an extensive nationwide search, and confirmed in a unanimous vote, Northwell’s Board of Trustees has appointed John D’Angelo, MD, who currently serves as executive vice president of the health system’s central region, to succeed Dowling as president and CEO in October. Dr. D’Angelo began his more than 25-year tenure at Northwell as an emergency medicine physician at Glen Cove Hospital before advancing into health system-wide clinical and administrative leadership roles.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to lead Northwell through a period of unprecedented growth and clinical transformation that has enabled our team members to make a meaningful difference and improve the lives of the tens of millions of patients and families who we’ve cared for over the last 25 years,” said Dowling in the release.

“In Dr. D’Angelo, the Board of Trustees has selected a tremendous leader who will lead Northwell to greater heights. John is someone who understands and champions Northwell’s unique and differentiated culture and his clinical and operational acumen coupled with skills as a decisive and collaborative leader will enable Northwell to raise the bar on the quality of care we deliver to the communities we serve in New York and Connecticut. I look forward to partnering with Dr. D’Angelo in the coming months to help ensure a seamless transition to what will be an exciting new chapter in the 33-year history of Northwell,” he added.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected to succeed Michael Dowling as Northwell President and CEO. I am committed to build on his unparalleled legacy and vision that grew Northwell from a Long Island-based health system into a regional and national health care leader,” said Dr. D’Angelo. “Health care is a calling. Every minute of every day, we have an opportunity to change someone’s life for the better, and I look forward to leading our more than 100,000 team members who contribute to this critically important mission. Together, we will continue advancing better health for all.”

As president of Northwell’s central region, Dr. D’Angelo leads a dynamic health care network serving 2.8 million residents in western Nassau County and Queens, a network that includes six hospitals, over 270 ambulatory practice locations, and a dedicated team of 24,000 employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. D’Angelo was at the forefront, orchestrating Northwell’s operational response and later becoming Chief of Integrated Operations, charged with streamlining system operations in the post-pandemic era.

Before this role, Dr. D’Angelo was the senior vice president of Northwell’s Emergency Medicine service line, where he managed 18 emergency departments and a network of 60+ urgent care centers, serving 1.5 million patients annually. With nearly three decades of experience as an emergency medicine physician, Dr. D’Angelo possesses a deep understanding of clinical care delivery, quality, process improvement, and operational management.

“The Northwell Board of Trustees is enormously grateful for Michael Dowling’s extraordinary tenure, and we are delighted to name Dr. D’Angelo as our next CEO,” said Board Chair Margaret Crotty. “Dr. D’Angelo is an experienced administrator, leading a region that itself would rank among the country’s largest health systems. He is a trusted mentor for so many Northwell leaders; a respected manager who inspires his team to consistently drive results; and a strategic leader who deploys technology toward the best health outcomes. John clearly stood out among an impressive slate as the best person to bring Northwell into a new era of care.”

Number 9, Bryce Tolmie, playing lacrosse for Hofstra University against Fairfield University in Spring of 2017 after overcoming an extensive 3-month concussion recovery. Photo courtesy Hofstra Athletics

By Kristina Garcia 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 70 percent of emergency room visits for traumatic brain injuries and concussions during high contact sports involve patients 17 and younger.

Bryce Tolmie, an athletic trainer at Orlin and Cohen who works with the PAL Jr. Islanders experienced a concussion in his junior year of high school that required an emergency CT scan to check for hemorrhaging. 

Tolmie, a former Hofstra University lacrosse player and NY Riptide box lacrosse professional, recalled not being able to remember the events of the day he got hit. His frustration came days later, when he was incapable of solving simple math problems in school. 

Many young athletes don’t report symptoms, fearing they will lose their team position or appear weak. 

“Think about long-term effects. There is a lot of research now on second-impact syndrome which can change the course of your life, even cause death,” said Tolmie. “You may play your sport for a set amount of time, but the rest of your life is much longer.” 

He reiterates how important it is to have trust in supporting staff. 

“Trust in coaches and your athletic trainer is huge not just for the injury, but for the mental health aspect that comes with it,” said Tolmie.

His experience helps him relate to his athletes personally, encouraging them to discuss how they are feeling. Increased concussion awareness helps eliminate the stigma of athletes feeling pressured to play through injury. 

Last month, Brain Injury Awareness Month, Hofstra University held a seminar on Concussion Outreach, Prevention, and Education with the Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS). Expert Kristin LoNigro, MSEd, ATC, noted how concussion protocols have changed significantly since she first started athletic training 35 years ago. 

When asked about gaps in concussion education, she pointed to youth leagues. 

“You have coaches or parents who might’ve played a long time ago when concussions were evaluated differently,” LoNigro said. Concussion protocol is not what it used to be, more research has shown that concussion timelines differ, and not all are the same.

LoNigro advises parents to “…do their research and advocate to leagues for an athletic trainer to be present during practices and games,” and “have all coaches become certified in CPR and concussion awareness prior to them coming on the field.” 

When resources are limited, there are still steps that can be taken to ensure the safety of young athletes. “In New York City, public high school coaches have to complete an online certification through the CDC,” she said. “They have a program called Heads Up Concussions.” 

HEADS UP to Youth Sports Coaches, is an online concussion training program sharing the latest guidance on concussion safety, prevention, how to spot signs and symptoms, and what action to take. Proper training and awareness in youth sports can minimize potential harm, and help athletes and parents turn their attention to enjoying sports for the fun of them

What to watch out for

According to the CDC, a concussion is “…a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. This fast movement can cause the brain to bounce…creating chemical changes…and sometimes stretching and damaging the brain cells.” 

Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, imbalance, dizziness, blurred vision, confusion, and memory loss. More serious warning signs include worsening headache, pupil enlargement, drowsiness, slurred speech, seizures, unusual behavior, and loss of consciousness even if for a brief moment. 

Parents and coaches should watch for athletes appearing dazed, forgetting instructions, being unsure of what is going on in a game, moving clumsily, and losing memory of events before or after the impact.  

Reports from the Brain Injury Association of America have shown that a teen who reports one or more of the symptoms a hit or fall, has a high concussion risk or other type of serious traumatic brain injury.

Kristina Garcia is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

 

Dr. James Paci and Dr. Robert Trasolini pose with orthopedic implants. Photo from Northwell Health
The sports medicine team at Huntington Hospital’s orthopedics department has introduced two biologically advanced implant procedures designed to improve outcomes for patients with knee injuries and early joint degeneration.

Orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Robert Trasolini, DO, recently performed the hospital’s first BEAR® (Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration) Implant procedure on an 18-year-old male athlete, offering a promising new alternative to traditional ACL reconstruction. The BEAR implant is a collagen-based device that, when combined with the patient’s blood, forms a collagen matrix that protects and supports the healing ligament. It contains biological signals that stimulate the ACL to heal, preserving the body’s own tissue rather than replacing it with a graft.

“This is a tremendous advancement for younger, active patients,” said Dr. Trasolini. “The BEAR implant not only restores stability to the knee but does so in a way that supports the body’s natural healing process, potentially reducing recovery time and improving long-term joint health.”

In a separate milestone, James Paci, MD, director of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine for Suffolk County at The Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group at Northwell, performed the hospital’s first CartiHeal Agili-C™ implant procedure on a 52-year-old female patient. The coral-based implant acts as a biological scaffold for patients with cartilage lesions who have not yet reached the stage requiring a total knee replacement.

The implant is designed to buy patients 10 to 15 years of pain relief and function before more invasive surgery might be necessary. Made from natural coral, the implant encourages bone marrow elements to migrate into the lesion, promoting the regrowth of cartilage over 6 to 9 months.

“This technology fills a significant gap in our treatment options,” said Dr. Paci. “For the right patient, typically someone too young or active for a knee replacement but dealing with painful cartilage defects, the Agili-C implant offers a bridge that restores function and improves quality of life.”

“These breakthrough procedures reflect Huntington Hospital’s ongoing commitment to delivering advanced, evidence-based orthopedic care to our community,” said Adam Bitterman, DO, chairman of orthopedic surgery at Huntington Hospital. “Innovative treatments like these not only enhance recovery outcomes but also support the long-term joint health and quality of life for our patients.”

By Daniel Dunaief

 

Dr. Patricia Bruckenthal
Photo from Stony Brook School of Nursing

 

People put their lives in the hands of unseen airline pilots who have enhanced and sharpened their skills using simulators. These simulators can prepare them for a wide range of conditions and unexpected challenges that enhance their confidence on the fly.

The same approach holds true for nurses, who seek to help patients whose symptoms may change even as the nurse is working with several people at the same time.

In an initiative designed to provide in depth training to nurses throughout the state, while filling a shortage of these vital professionals, New York State recently announced a $62 million contribution to three nursing simulation centers: SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Canton and Stony Brook University. With $10 million of state funds that the university will match with $10.5 million of its own money, SBU will increase the number of nurses it trains.

“We are very fortunate here at Stony Brook that we get many, many qualified applicants for our nursing program [for whom] we have not, to date, been able to offer seats,” said Dr. Patricia Bruckenthal, Dean of the School of Nursing at Stony Brook. This will enable the school, as well as the other programs, to train more students.

Effective training

While Stony Brook offers nursing simulation training, the additional funds will greatly expand the size and scope of that effort.

The NEXUS-Innovation Center, which stands for Nursing EXcellence Using Simulation, will take about two years to build and will have a phased in enrollment approach. In the third year, the school will add 56 baccalaureate nursing students. In the fifth year, Stony Brook will have space for 80 more students.

The current simulation center is about 1,850 square feet, which includes a nursing skills lab, exam room and debrief/ flex room. 

The new center will add 15,000 square feet. 

The simulation center will have 16 hospital style beds, with all the equipment nurses would normally see in a hospital room, including suction, air, oxygen, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, monitoring, and a call bell system. The center will also have eight examination rooms.

The proposal also includes the design of an apartment with a laundry, kitchen, bathroom and shower, helping train nurses who will help people in residential settings.

Among other features, the center will have a control room where instructors and operators manipulate the AV equipment and patient simulations, observe and document performance, collect data and prepare for debriefing.

Bruckenthal is planning to hire a faculty member in the next few months to become simulation coordinator who will work with the Director of the Learning Resource Center.

Within the next two years, Stony Brook anticipates hiring one more nursing faculty Clinical Simulation Educator and one Simulation Operations Specialist, who will ensure that all technical aspects of the center are functioning correctly. This new hire will also troubleshoot equipment, while performing emergency repairs on equipment and arranging for vendor repairs.

All of this equipment and expertise provides opportunities to create scenarios that build expertise. The conditions can change, as a patient goes from an expected outcome to one in which the conditions rapidly deteriorate.

In addition to expanding capacity and giving nurses an opportunity to understand and react to patients who have a wide range of conditions they might not see during routine clinical training, the center will also enable these students to build their competence and confidence in a low-stakes environment.

“It provides for a safe learning environment,” said Bruckenthal. “Students can make mistakes without risking patient safety. It’s much less stressful.”

Future nurses can also continue to work in the simulation lab on a particular skill until they feel confident in their abilities.

Several studies have validated the effectiveness of educating and preparing nurses in a simulated setting.

A landmark study in 2014 conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing compared the clinical competence of nurses in training across three groups: one that had no simulation training, a group with 25 percent of their clinical training replaced by simulation, and a third group with 50 percent clinical training through simulation.

The nursing certification pass rate scores were the same for all three groups. Simulation trained nurses performed as well or better in areas like critical thinking and clinical judgment.

Additionally, follow up studies showed that employers found that nurses trained using high fidelity simulation were just as effective as those who were trained in the clinic in areas including patient safety, communication and evidence-based practices..

The center can also pivot to provide nurses with training for expanding local health threats, such as a simulated version of a measles outbreak, Lyme disease or a spike in other conditions that might cause a surge in hospital visits.

“We can build and design cases that meet those needs,” said Bruckenthal.

The center can build in disaster training, giving nurses a chance to interact with colleagues in other health professions during any of a host of other scenarios. When interacting with other healthcare professionals, nurses can practices the SBAR technique, in which they describe the Situation, provide Background, give an Assessment, and offer a Recommendation.

The expanded simulation center will incorporate design elements such as soundproofing, lighting and ventilation and will align with the university’s goals towards sustainability and green-oriented design.

Long term commitment

Bruckenthal has been contributing to Stony Brook for 44 years, ever since she graduated from the nursing school in 1981.

Her first job as a nurse was at the newly opened hospital. She and Carolyn Santora, Stony Brook Medicine Chief Nursing Officer, have worked together since 1981 and went through the Stony Brook master’s program together. They have established the Stony Brook Nursing Alliance.

Bruckenthal is energized by the opportunities ahead.

“Nursing is one of those careers where you can always keep yourself new and find new and exciting opportunities,” she said.

In the early days of her nursing career, she recalled that nurses weren’t exposed to all the types of conditions they might face in various settings.

“Having the opportunity to have nurses practice in this low risk environment and build that confidence and skills is a better way to prepare nurses to be ready for the work force,” she said

With nurses involved in so many aspects of patient care, Bruckenthal dreams of creating a nursing innovation incubator.

Nurses can offer insights into developing innovative ways to improve health care, whether working with biomedical engineers or biomedical informatics and can help design human-centered technology. Such a center could allow nurses to learn more about technology and business while enabling them to become leaders and entrepreneurs.

“Nurses have a problem-solving mindset,” Bruckenthal explained. “Sustainable and scalable solutions are really going to take a joint effort between educators, clinicians and industry partners.”

Mather Hospital. Photo by Jim Lennon

Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson has been nationally recognized with the Healthgrades 2025 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ for the fifth year in a row (2021-2025) for delivering an exceptional patient experience. Mather is one of four hospitals in New York to receive the award and among the top 5% of hospitals in the country for patient experience for a second consecutive year.

This honor from Healthgrades, an online resource for information about physicians and hospitals, reflects Mather Hospital’s ongoing commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care. Each year, Healthgrades evaluates more than 3,000 hospitals across the country to identify those that consistently provide an exceptional experience from the patient’s perspective.

“This award speaks directly to the dedication and compassion of our entire team at Mather Hospital,” said Kevin McGeachy, President, Mather Hospital. “We are honored to receive this recognition, which reinforces our mission to put patients first in every aspect of their care.”

To determine recipients of the Outstanding Patient Experience Award, Healthgrades analyzed data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey submitted by hospitals across the U.S. The 2025 award is based on HCAHPS survey data collected from January 2023 to December 2023. Only hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient surveys during this time were considered.

Healthgrades applies a scoring methodology to 10 patient experience measures, including communication with nurses and doctors, responsiveness of hospital staff, explanation of medications, and cleanliness and quietness of the hospital environment. Mather’s performance across these metrics reflects its success in creating a healing and supportive environment for patients and their families.

For example, 84% of Mather’s patients reported that their room and bathroom were “always” clean, and nurses “always” communicated well, while 89% of patients reported “yes” that they were given information about what to do during their recovery at home.

Pictured with Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (right) are from left, St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center’s President Chris Nelson, Chief Nursing Officer Karen T. Fasano, and Assistant Vice President of Nursing Elizabeth McNulty.

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta recently recognized the nurses at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown during Nurses Week.

National Nurses Week began May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, which celebrates all nurses and the important work they do in our community. The theme this year was “The Power of Nurses.” The theme emphasized the incredible impact that nurses have and their essential role in health care.

St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center held a special “nurses flag raising” ceremony at its main entrance to the hospital and will do so each year as an annual event. Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta presented officials from St. Catherine of Siena with a proclamation and thanked all the nurses for their tireless dedication, compassion and outstanding patient care.

Nursing students engage in trauma simulation, guided by an instructor, to build essential emergency care skills in a realistic learning environment. Photo by Amy Prokop

Initiative will enhance and broaden nursing education with funds totaling $20.5 million

The Stony Brook University School of Nursing has been selected as a State University of New York (SUNY) Regional Nursing Simulation Center, one of only three in New York State. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the news this month about the selected centers, which will involve an overall $62 million investment to bolster nursing training at many levels throughout the state.

Stony Brook will receive $10 million from SUNY, with matching funds of $10.5 million from Stony Brook University. The total of $20.5 million will be used to create a new simulation center at Stony Brook that includes the latest simulation technologies to help train more nursing students and enhance the overall experience of nursing education.

The selected campuses include the University of Buffalo, named the SUNY System-Wide Nursing Simulation Center of Excellence, and SUNY Canton and Stony Brook as the regional centers. Each center will provide high-quality, hands-on training for some of the most needed clinical practice areas in health care, such as labor and delivery, high acuity cases, and community health.

According to the Governor’s office, with their investments, each campus has committed to significant prelicensure nursing program enrollment growth, leveraging the legislation Governor Hochul signed in May of 2023 permitting nursing students to complete up to one-third of their clinical training through high-quality simulation experiences.

“By investing in nurses of the future, we’re investing in the talent of aspiring professionals across our state and in the health care workforce we all rely on,” says Governor Hochul.

“As Suffolk County’s only academic medical center, Stony Brook University is proud to be at the forefront of healthcare education and workforce development,” says Dr. William A. Wertheim, Executive Vice President for Stony Brook Medicine. “This designation as a SUNY Regional Nursing Simulation Center reflects our long-standing commitment to preparing the next generation of nurses. Through this important partnership with SUNY, we will expand access to high-quality, hands-on clinical training – helping to address the critical nursing shortage, grow the healthcare workforce and ensure our communities have skilled professionals they need to thrive.”

The new regional nursing simulation center at Stony Brook will support a 19 percent increase in prelicensure (baccalaureate) nursing enrollment in the first-year post-project completion. There is a projected 27 percent increase over the next five years.

“We are grateful to Governor Hochul, SUNY, and Stony Brook University for this opportunity to expand and enhance nursing education through simulation-based learning,” says Dr. Patricia Bruckenthal, Dean of the Stony Brook School of Nursing. “Our NEXUS Innovation Center epitomizes our commitment to advancing nursing education through innovation and collaboration. By integrating cutting-edge simulation technologies, we are not only enhancing the clinical competencies of our students and students across the region but also fostering an environment where interdisciplinary teams can engage in transformative learning experiences. This center stands as a testament to our dedication to preparing nurse leaders who will shape the future of healthcare delivery.”

According to the plan as a regional center, Stony Brook will significantly expand its simulation space footprint to enhance in-person nursing education. Additionally, the center will leverage advanced simulcast software technology to provide remote learning opportunities across Long Island.

Currently, simulation baccalaureate nursing curriculum is integrated into every clinical course in the School of Nursing. Due to space constraints, students are rotated through the Learning Resource Center in small groups, which enables hands-on experiences in the simulation lab under the supervision of the lab director and clinical faculty. The expansion of simulation training and a new dedicated center will streamline this workflow.

The announcement of the three nursing simulation centers across the state also builds on previous efforts by SUNY to expand and enhance nursing education through simulation-based learning. Last October, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the inaugural class of the SUNY Nursing Simulation Fellowship, which includes Dr. Debra Giugliano from Stony Brook Nursing; and SUNY has invested $3.7 million through its High Needs Nursing Fund to further advance simulation-based education across 40 of SUNY’s nursing programs.

 

 

Mather Hospitaal. Photo by Jim Lennon

Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson has announced that it has achieved a significant milestone — completing 10,000 robotic surgery procedures using the da Vinci® surgical system – the most of any hospital in Suffolk County. This achievement underscores the hospital’s commitment to providing cutting-edge, minimally invasive surgical care to our community.

Mather Hospital is in the top 10% of hospitals on Long Island performing robotic surgery, using five da Vinci® surgical robots. The hospital, which is a Robotic Surgery Center of Excellence, the first in New York State, and an Epicenter in Robotic Bariatric Surgery, has performed robotic surgery since 2011, consistently investing in advanced technology and highly skilled surgeons.  

The most common robotic surgeries at Mather are bariatric and general surgery, followed by gynecology, thoracic, and urology. Approximately 99% of our bariatric cases are performed robotically. The average length of stay for patients undergoing robotic surgery is two days. 

“Achieving 10,000 robotic surgeries is a testament to our surgical team’s commitment to continually elevating patient care,” said Mather Hospital President Kevin McGeachy. “This milestone reflects our ongoing investment in innovative technology and our dedication to providing the best possible outcomes for our patients.” 

Robotic surgery offers numerous benefits to the patient, including smaller incisions, reduced pain and scarring, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times. Mather Hospital utilizes the da Vinci® surgical system to enhance surgical precision, dexterity and visualization.

Using the da Vinci® Surgical System, the surgeon operates seated comfortably at a console while viewing a high definition, 3D image inside the patient’s body. The surgeon’s fingers grasp the master controls below the display with hands and wrists naturally positioned relative to his or her eyes. The system seamlessly translates the surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements into precise, real-time movements of surgical instruments.

“We are incredibly proud of the profound impact our robotic surgery program has had on more than 10,000 lives in our community,” said Arif Ahmad, MD, director of Mather Hospital’s Robotic Surgery Center of Excellence. “This milestone motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of surgical innovation and providing the highest quality care for years to come. Our world-renowned team serves as an international epicenter for robotic surgery, and we have hosted, through live presentations and Telepresence, surgeons from England and France in addition to multiple centers in the U.S.”

Telepresence with Intuitive Hub allows live sharing of a procedure, using two-way audio and video, enabling surgeons who are in another geographic location to observe and mentor colleagues during robotic-assisted surgeries in real time.

For information about Mather Hospital, visit matherhospital.org or follow us @MatherHospital on Facebook.

 

Annual event benefits the Fortunato Breast Health Center

Join Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson on Sunday, May 18 for the annual Northwell Walk to Raise Health to support the Fortunato Breast Health Center.

Presented by Four Leaf Federal Credit Union, the Walk brings together family, friends and team members for a five-mile walk through the scenic villages of Port Jefferson and Belle Terre. The day includes music, raffles, photo props, a walker warm up session, and the return of the popular Pink Your Pooch contest for the best “pinked” pup! Check-in opens at 8:30 a.m. and the Walk steps off at 10 a.m.

Sponsored by New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, King Quality Roofing and Siding, Riverhead Toyota, and CSDNET the Northwell Walk to Raise Health at Port Jefferson raises awareness of the need for regular breast cancer screenings starting at age 40. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers according to the American Cancer Society It accounts for about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year. The average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 13%, or a 1 in 8 chance. 

The event will be held simultaneously with other walks in Riverhead, Jones Beach, Staten Island and Westchester County. Last year’s Northwell Health Walk was attended by more than 6,000 people who came together across five Northwell Health Walk locations to raise more than $1.14 million for local hospital programs and services.

According to Northwell’s website, the Walk began 15 years ago as the “Every Woman Matters Walk,” inspired by the vision of philanthropists Iris and Saul Katz. Since its inception, the Northwell Health Walk has raised more than $8 million and supports Northwell’s Outpacing the Impossible campaign, a comprehensive $1.4 billion fundraising effort that supports Northwell’s promise to the people it serves. 

The campaign’s objectives include improving hospitals and clinical programs, accelerating research and funding endowment.

On May 18, walk for a family member or friend fighting breast cancer, a breast cancer survivor, or in memory of someone whose life was cut short by this disease. Form a team with family, friends, or co-workers, join a team or walk as an individual, or sponsor a team or walker. Help raise funds for the Walk and collect Walk Fundraising Rewards. Participants can begin earning rewards by raising just $100! All rewards will be waiting for you at the Walk. To register, visit www.northwellhealthwalk.com.

In honor of April’s Organ Donation Awareness Month, St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown, in collaboration with LiveOnNY, hosted a special flag-raising ceremony on April 2. 

Heart transplant recipient Ed Schafer was present at the ceremony to share his story and also discussed the memorable moment when he met his donor family. He explained how it was an unforgettable moment when the donor’s mother asked to feel Ed’s heart beating. It was at that moment, she knew her son’s heart lived on, in Ed. Ed’s donor was only 32 years old when he passed away. 

Pictured from left, Zach Matuk, RN; Megan Burrows, RN; Natasha Thomas, LiveOnNY; Ed Schafer, heart transplant recipient; Karen Cummings, LiveOnNY; Chris Nelson, Interim President, St. Catherine of Siena Hospital; Chris Boukas, St. Catherine’s Chief Operating Officer; Mary Ellen McCrossen, St. Catherine’s Community Relations Manager and kidney donor; Laurie Yuditsky, St. Catherine’s Vice President, Quality and Patient Safety; Leslie Callahan, St. Catherine’s Office Manager, Plant Operations. To register as an organ donor, go to LiveOnNY.org.