_________ oCeANsIDe/IsLAND PArk ________ your HEALTH body / mind / fitness
and JUNE 29, 2023
with a focus on:
MEN’S
looK INsIdE YoUR HEAlTH
Men’s Health
Vol. 58 No. 27
Writing from ‘Manhattan to Montauk’ Page 2 JUNE 29 - JUlY 5, 2023
Year that was in high school sports Pages 6, 7 $1.00
Jose Medina is hospital’s true unsung hero By MoHAMEd FARGHAlY mfarghaly@liherald.com
M Courtesy Oceanside High School
Eric Dunetz/Herald
Two schools and two new paths Oceanside Middle School students, top, looked forward to beginning their high school journey. Above, the high school’s Class of 2023 celebrated at the close of the commencement ceremony last Friday on the school football field. More coverage, Pages 3, 10.
ount Sinai South Nassau has named Jose Medina, a Freeport resident and a longtime hospital staffer, Employee of the Year in honor of his dedication to the facility’s mission to providing standard-setting health care. Medina, an environmental services technician, has worked for nearly 35 years behind the scenes, ensuring that the hospital’s soiled linens and waste are collected and properly removed to be laundered or discarded. Despite not working in patient care areas, Medina has played a vital part in maintaining MSSN’s cleanliness and safety. “He is our eyes and ears while conducting his work, as he covers the entire building,” Felix Nazario, the administrative director of building services, said. “He’s the unsung hero. He’s not a gentleman that looks for compliments, and he doesn’t expect anything in return. He just does a job every day, and we definitely feel that when he’s not here. When he goes on vacation, right away you know that he’s not in the building.” Born in Cuesta, near San Jose de la Matas in the Domini-
can Republic, Medina immigrated to the United States in March 1988, in search of a better life for himself and his family. Just over a month later, he began working at Mount Sinai South Nassau, initially in the laundry department before transitioning to his current job. Medina credits a close childhood friend with referring him to the hospital, marking the beginning of his remarkable journey. “I wanted the American dream, and wanted to do better for myself and my family,” he said of his family. Each day on the job, Medina handles the physically demanding tasks of pushing, pulling, lifting and dumping close to 2,500 pounds of garbage, medical waste and other materials. Over the course of his career, he has moved a staggering estimated 22,750,000 pounds of it, making clear his dedication to ensuring a clean and hygienic environment for patients and staff alike. Medina expressed his gratitude for the Employee of the Year award, and said it was a great feeling to be acknowledged after 35 years of hard work. He particularly appreciates the recognition from the Continued on page 13