Schneps Media and Catholic Health celebrated medical professionals across New York City and Long Island for going above and beyond in their work at the Healthcare Heroes event May 12 at the Terrace on the Park. The Healthcare Hero honorees got to walk down a red carpet as they received their awards.
Among the Healthcare Hero honorees from presenting sponsors were Laura Beck and Chris Roth of St. Charles Hospital, Kathleen Burke and Shannon Sullivan of St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center, Louis Calderon and Denise Calvi of Mercy Medical Center, Anthony Daniello and Bonnie Morales of St. Catherine’s of Siena, Allison Lace of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Maribeth McKeever of Good Shepherd Hospice and Danielle O’Rourke of Good Samaritan Hospital.
Beck serves as the vice president of rehabilitation while Roth is a physical therapist and lead sports therapist at St. Charles. Burke is the telecommunications manager and Sullivan is the assistant nurse manager at St. Francis. Calderon serves as the director of nursing in the emergency department and Calvi is the assistant director at Mercy. Daniello is the director of environmental services and Morales is the director of infection prevention and control at St. Catherine’s. Lace is the director of nursing at St. Joseph’s, Mckeever the director of bereavement at Good Shepherd and O’Rourke the nurse manager of the surgical intensive care unit at Good Samaritan.
“I’ve been [at St. Catherine’s of Siena] for almost four decades,” Morales said. “I wouldn’t be getting honored here tonight without the work of my terrific staff.”
Morales began her medical career at St. Catherine’s of Siena as a registered nurse in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in 1983. She has served as the hospital’s director of infection prevention and control for the past five years. She provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of a comprehensive infection control program, including policies designed to reduce or eliminate outbreaks in the facility. Both of her sons and their spouses work in the medical field today.
Another 34 individuals from across New York City and Long Island were also honored, along with the COVID vaccine and testing team at NYC Health and Hospitals/Metropolitan, the nursing staff at RiverSpring Living and the therapeutic recreation department at NYC Health and Hospitals, McKinney.
Among the corporate partners with representatives in attendance for the Healthcare Heroes event were Catholic Health, Schneps Media, AT&T and the Brooklyn Hospital Center. According to Catholic Health President and CEO Patrick O’Shaughnessy, these honorees thrived in their work during in a difficult post-COVID world.
“These are some of the most amazing professionals in the health industry,” O’Shaughnessy said. “These honorees are the powerhouse of a health system. They really are remarkable people.”
AT&T FirstNet Sales Executive Anthony Postiglione was on hand to discuss the important role FirstNet plays in assisting emergency workers. According to Postiglione, the service was developed shortly after 9/11, when emergency workers were having trouble communicating over the phone with each other due to busy networks. The only first responder network in the United States, FirstNet provides 24/7 priority communication for service workers, allowing them to get more information quickly and make faster and better decisions.
Brooklyn Hospital Center President and CEO Gary Terrinoni discussed the hospital’s storied history. According to Terrinoni, it is the oldest hospital in the borough, at 177 years. It’s also one of few remaining independent hospitals in the state of New York. A couple of notable figures who were born there included Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States Dr. Anthony Fauci and New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.
“Throughout the pandemic, our hospital came together as if they were soldiers called to serve in the military,” Terrinoni said. “We were able to increase the number of isolation rooms for patients. I’m proud of the healthcare companies that came up to the task during the pandemic.”
