St. Catherine of Siena Hospital appoints new President and Chief Nursing Officer
Catholic Health’s St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown has appointed Christopher Nelson, MBA, its new President. Additionally, Elizabeth McNulty, DNP, RN, NE-BC, the hospital’s Assistant Vice President of Nursing Administration, has been promoted to Chief Nursing Officer (CNO).
“We are very fortunate to have Mr. Nelson and Dr. McNulty as part of St. Catherine’s executive leadership team,” said Gary Havican, executive vice president & chief operating officer at Catholic Health. “I am confident their expertise will further enhance St. Catherine in its mission to provide the highest quality of care to residents of the Smithtown community.”
In his new role, Mr. Nelson will oversee all hospital operations, with a particular focus on improving patient experience and further expanding Catholic Health’s commitment to High-Reliability Organization principles.
Mr. Nelson most recently served as President of Catholic Health’s St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage, where he oversaw all operations, spearheading executive strategies for growth, quality and patient experience improvement, and employee engagement and workforce development.
Prior to joining Catholic Health, Mr. Nelson served as Vice President of Operations for NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island (formerly Winthrop-University Hospital). He also previously served as the hospital’s Vice President of Administration for Surgery and Cardiac Services. Mr. Nelson began his career in health care in the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps, where he held several leadership positions and received the Joint Service Commendation Medal.
Mr. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration from Long Island University.
Renowned in the nursing field, Dr. McNulty has more than 30 years of experience as a professional oncology nurse, leader and educator. In her new role as CNO of St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, Dr. McNulty will lead the hospital’s nursing professional practice to ensure the delivery of high quality patient care in alignment with the hospital and Catholic Health’s mission, vision and values.
Prior to joining Catholic Health, Dr. McNulty held various nursing leadership roles at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, including Director of Acute Care Nursing.
Dr. McNulty earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Binghamton University, a Master of Arts in Nursing Administration from New York University, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Villanova University. She is a board-certified nurse executive and member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, Sigma Theta Tau and the American Nurses Association.
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About Catholic Health
Catholic Health is an integrated system encompassing some of the region’s finest health and human services agencies. The health system has over 17,000 employees, six acute care hospitals, three nursing homes, a home health service, hospice and a network of physician practices. Under the sponsorship of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Catholic Health serves hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders each year, providing care that extends from the beginning of life to helping people live their final years in comfort, grace and dignity.
