Four individuals nominated by Mather Hospital were honored as Health Care Heroes by Long Island Business News. The annual awards "recognize excellence, promote innovation, contribute to the enhancement of the value and quality of healthcare and, ultimately, recognize those people and organizations whose tireless work, contributions and dedication to healing and caring ensure the well-being of everyone on Long Island", according to the newspaper.
Mather’s Health Care Heroes are:
Marie Mulligan MSN RN CNOR NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer/ Vice President for Nursing at Mather, was named a Nurse Hero for provided outstanding leadership since assuming her position in 2008 not only for Mather’s nursing staff but for the entire Hospital. Her exceptional leadership was noted recently at the conclusion of a successful five-year effort she led to earn Magnet® Recognition for Mather Hospital. The Magnet Recognition Program®, which is administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Fewer than 400 hospitals worldwide have earned Magnet® Recognition, and the ANCC cited the nursing staff’s "transformational leadership" as an exemplar.
Alice Kolasa, DO, Director of Mather Hospital’s Palliative Medicine Program, was named a Physician Hero. Kolasa joined the hospital in 2012 as the founding Director of the Palliative Medicine Program and was cited for her "integrity, kindness and compassion" and the care she provides for her patients and families. Palliative Medicine helps patients achieve the best quality of life possible by managing symptoms, alleviating pain and working with the patient and their family to address psychological, cultural and/or spiritual issues. A patient may still receive curative treatment while receiving palliative care. Kolasa heads a team that also includes Phyllis Macchio, the program’s nurse practitioner.
Jean Larsen and Walter Hurney, who created the Pink Rock Golf Classic to benefit the Fund for Uninsured at the Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital, were named Volunteer Heroes. Jean Larsen is a breast cancer survivor whose surgeries and treatments left her with $30,000 in medical bills. While Larsen had insurance and was able to pay her bills, she was concerned about women who did not have the insurance or the means to do so. After passing the five-year mark cancer free, Larsen felt strong enough to begin to pay it forward. Together with her friend and work associate Walter Hurney, she created Pink Rock to help provide access to state-of-the-art breast screenings, diagnostic services and treatment for women and men without adequate insurance. The annual golf tournament is now in its seventh year and has raised more than $350,000.
John T. Mather Memorial Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high quality healthcare services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion and respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones.