Northwell Health honers cancer survivors

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Cancer Institute, expressed how crucial the work of doctors, nurses and caretakers is to creating a safe environment for patients.

“I think what makes us such a great healthcare system is the culture here, which is incredible,” he said. “I think it stems from the top, the leadership of Michael Dowling. It’s such an inclusive culture that focuses on the [patients’] voices and well-being. I think that when you have satisfed and engaged employees, patients pick up on that.”

Barakat explained that Northwell is rated one of the best places to work in health care in the United States, the No. 1 health-care system by diversity and the largest private employer in New York with 83,000 employees.

Through ongoing philanthropic support, Northwell’s surpassing of its $1 billion capital campaign and the revenue generated by the system made up of 21 hospitals, the health care provider will be expanding.

“As a not-for-proft, we pour that money back into the system,” Barakat said. “Since cancer is so prevalent and important, I’ve been blessed that the health-care system is putting half a billion dollars into cancer in the next three years.”

Barakat said that Northwell is building the frst cancer center in Queens, which is opening this year, and a brand new cancer center on Staten Island, opening in the fourth quarter of 2023. Barakat noted the benefts of being treated locally, especially in Queens, which has the most ethnically diverse population in the world.

“The combination of being treated locally, being treated by people that are like you, by having a very diverse staf and faculty providing cutting edge care right in your backyard, I think that’s what makes the diference,” he said. “When you remove that stress of driving and paying for parking, I think that that does won- ders for patients, and I think that’s why we’re growing and succeeding.”

During the celebration, the Tita and Joseph Monti-Vincent Vinciguerra Award in Patient Care was presented to Dr. Ruthee-Lu Bayer, Northwell Health Cancer Institute’s system head of stem cell transplant and cellular therapy treatment and the lab.

Saladino and Dr. Vincent Vinciguerra copresented the award. Vinciguerra specializes in treating gastrointestinal cancers and breast cancer, is the principal investigator for the National Cancer Institute and had treated Don Monti at NSUH when he was a medical resident.