Long Live Long Island 2023 Newsletter

Newell Robinson, MD Chairman, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery

A message from the president & CEO

Dear Friends,

Catholic Health’s deep roots on Long Island go back more than 100 years. Building on this extraordinary legacy, we continue to grow to serve the needs of all Long Islanders. Driven by our mission, Catholic Health approaches medicine from a perspective which is both current and compassionate. Put simply, the patient is always at the center of all we do. On these pages, you’ll learn about our superior outcomes and innovations in cardiovascular care (see page 4) at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center®

Moving from sick care to well care, we’re launching new multispecialty outpatient facilities at more locations, including in eastern Suffolk. Our 63,000-square-foot Ambulatory & Urgent Care center will open in Centereach this summer, offering a range of exceptional services, making it essentially a “bed-less” hospital.

We’re also making it easier for you and your family to access online scheduling, digital/paperless check-in and mobile video correspondence with doctors. Quality inpatient and emergent care is reaching new heights at Good Samaritan University Hospital, which has earned verification as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, the highest verification available. This comes on the heels of Good Samaritan opening its state-of-art Mother-Baby Unit.

Catholic Health is working with partners such as Long Island Cares®, Smile Farms® and Meals of Hope to address food insecurity on Long Island. In sync with our philosophy that “food is medicine,” we’re pleased to announce the opening of Tom Colicchio’s Root & Sprig restaurant in St. Francis Hospital’s lobby (see page 8). And, as the weather warms, we hope you’ll have time to enjoy all our region has to offer. Here’s to a healthy summer.

Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA President & CEO

Live…from Catholic Health!

Check out our new weekly video series, “Catholic Health Update,” with our Associate Director of Multimedia Content Tim Kelchner. Find broadcasts on our website (chsli.org), YouTube channel (CatholicHealthLI) and other social media platforms. Also on our YouTube channel: Catholic Health’s “Stronger Together with Dr. Dave,” hosted by cardiologist David D’Agate, DO, which focuses on wellness and the services we offer.

To make an appointment with a physician near you, call ( 866) MY-LI-DOC (866-695-4362).

Care at home

Catholic Health is dedicated to providing quality health care where you need it. That includes your home.

“The benefit of Care at Home goes far beyond convenience. It’s also exceedingly effective, producing positive outcomes, often at an accelerated pace,” said Kim Kranz, RN, MS, CHPCA, president of Catholic Health Home Care and Good Shepherd Hospice.

Catholic Health’s Care at Home services span in-home nursing care, physical therapy, medical social work, nutritional counseling, pastoral care visits—even home health aides for short-term personal care needs. Between visits, Catholic Health uses advanced telehealth tools to monitor patients’ vital signs and make it easy for them to communicate at any time of the day or week. Home care patients get the full support of Catholic Health’s superb interdisciplinary team, all working collaboratively to deliver superior care and healing.

“Happily, America’s population is living longer than previously, but that longevity is multiplying the demand for quality health services,” said Ms. Kranz, “and most people, understandably, prefer to get care where they are most comfortable— their homes.” Beyond recovery and curative therapies, Catholic Health Care at Home also administers palliative care when doctors deem it beneficial. Different from end-of-life care, palliative quality-of-life care offers patients who have chronic or advanced conditions expert symptom management. “It also allows these patients to engage in life and participate in the activities they enjoy,” said Ms. Kranz. Catholic Health Home Care clinicians also handle hospice care, which is reserved for patients whose condition cannot be improved therapeutically; then, we provide physical, spiritual and emotional comfort.

Catholic Health’s Care at Home team works closely with the system’s physician providers, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and diagnostic services. “We’re all part of the same team,”

Cycling to save lives

Join us for this year’s one-day Empire State Ride on July 22 to benefit clinical research and trials at Catholic Health Cancer Institute and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. This charity bike ride rallies the community to celebrate life and spread hope. All routes start and finish in historic downtown Oyster Bay on Long Island’s storied North Shore. Ride through Long Island’s estate country, beaches and estuaries. Choose the 10-, 25or 62-mile route.

To register, please visit esrlongisland.com

“Care at Home brings hospitalquality treatment directly to the most comfortable and effective environment for your recovery.”

—Kim Kranz, RN, MS, CHPCA, President, Catholic Health Home Care

Cardiovascular innovation at the highest level

St. Francis Heart Center...a national leader

No hospital on Long Island matches Catholic Health’s St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® for cardiovascular expertise or outcomes.

Few hospitals in the country can match St. Francis for cardiovascular expertise and exceptional patient outcomes across a number of cardiac services and sub-specialties. Our physicians are lead investigators in numerous research trials, which are yielding new techniques for restoring heart patients to health using minimally invasive approaches.

“Our dedicated team of board-certified physicians is committed to providing cardiac patients the highest quality care

using the latest treatments available. And our nursing staff is continually recognized for excellence,” said St. Francis President Charles Lucore, MD, MBA.

St. Francis Heart Center’s cardiothoracic expertise has long been available at Good Samaritan University Hospital. Additionally, St. Francis has catheterization labs at Mercy, St. Joseph and St. Catherine of Siena hospitals, plus a dedicated chest pain unit at St. Catherine. This means our worldleading cardiac care is available across Long Island, wherever you live.

A world leader, here at home

Beyond its national standing, St. Francis Heart Center is now recognized as a global leader. Its expert cardiologists have presented their world-class techniques

in precision angioplasty to the most respected physician conferences in Europe and Asia, and they teach fellow cardiologists around the globe the advanced techniques and protocols that have earned St. Francis Heart Center unmatched honors at home.

“Most angioplasties are still being guided by two-dimensional coronary imaging. Not at St. Francis,” said Catholic Health Chairman of Cardiovascular Services and Chairman of Cardiology at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center Richard Shlofmitz, MD. “We utilize leading-edge 3D imaging to place stents with far more precision, knowing exactly how long the stent should be and how wide. This is much better for the patient’s long-term cardiac health. That’s why we call it precision angioplasty.”

Father/son team: Evan Shlofmitz, MD, Director of Intravascular Imaging (left), reviews 3D intracoronary images with Richard Shlofmitz, MD, Chairman of Cardiovascular Services.

How we stand out

Cardiac care, where you are St. Francis Heart Center services are now available across Long Island, accessible at the following Catholic Health campuses:

• Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip

• Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre

• St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown

• St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage

First use of new heart tool St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, New York State’s only specialty designated cardiac center, has performed the world’s first heart valve procedure using the new TELLTALE electrosurgical guidewire system to assist minimally invasive valve replacement and repair.

The history-making procedure was performed in February of this year at St. Francis Hospital by Jaffar Khan, MD, innovator of the BASILICA procedure, assisted by George Petrossian, MD, and Newell Robinson, MD, co-chairs of St. Francis Hospital’s structural heart program.

“Using the TELLTALE device, the St. Francis team was able to successfully treat a patient who was at high risk of coronary obstruction post-TAVR due to the patient’s anatomy,” commented Dr. Khan. “We were able to cut the diseased valve leaflet out of the way within minutes, allowing for safe and effective implantation of the prosthetic valve. Bringing this therapy to Long Island and beyond is the result of collaboration among physicians at St. Francis, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Emory University Hospital. Ultimately, it’s our patients who will reap the benefits.”

Highest honors for excellence

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has awarded St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence. No other hospital in our region—inclusive of Long Island, Westchester and New York City’s five boroughs—has achieved the ACC’s prestigious HeartCARE Center designation.

The ACC designation recognizes St. Francis’s extraordinary cardiovascular care provided to patients every day, spanning accreditations for its Catheterization Lab and Chest Pain Center, as well as certification of its TAVR program.

“Our numerous certifications, accreditations and recognitions assure patients that our outcomes are exceptional,” said Dr. Robinson, who is also chair of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at St. Francis. Added Dr. Petrossian, “St. Francis provides the world-class cardiac treatments that allow our patients to recover, return home and get on with their lives. That’s the most important outcome of all.”

Dr. Shlofmitz summed it up simply: “You have only one heart. Where you go for care makes all the difference.”

To schedule a consultation with one of St. Francis Heart Center’s expert cardiologists, call (866) MY-LI-DOC or visit chsli.org/cardiac-care

Stream “The Heart of St. Francis” on Mediflix.com Mediflix, a trusted “edutainment” video streaming platform, has produced an exclusive docuseries: “The Heart of St. Francis.” This five-part telecast explores how St. Francis Heart Center is leading the way in minimally invasive cardiovascular care. Visit Mediflix.com to learn how the future of cardiology is happening here on Long Island—at St. Francis Heart Center.

St. Francis, Catholic Health’s flagship hospital, boasts a long list of awards and accolades. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center a national leader in cardiology and cardiac surgery. The hospital has also earned a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for three consecutive years. And St. Francis has earned more “A” grades for safety from The Leapfrog Group than any hospital in New York State. In addition:

• St. Francis has been awarded the highest overall rating by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

• Its transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program has been awarded the highest honors by both STS and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and is certified by the ACC. St. Francis has the highest TAVR volumes in New York State, as well as the best outcomes.

• Its minimally invasive cardiac procedures provide significantly better patient outcomes than other programs across New York State. Its cardiac catheterization lab is among the highest volume of angioplasty centers in the state and is the only one on Long Island to receive cath lab accreditation from the ACC.

• St. Francis is one of only two hospitals on Long Island to have ACC accreditation as a chest pain center with resuscitation.

• The St. Francis ventricular assist device (VAD) program is certified by The Joint Commission and boasts the best outcomes and longevity, with results that far outperform VAD programs nationally. The program’s Surgical Director Edward F. Lundy, MD, PhD, has just performed St. Francis Hospital’s 75th VAD implant.

• St. Francis has blazed the trail in electrophysiology, providing exceptional outcomes in the treatment of arrhythmia. Under the leadership of Joseph Levine, MD, St. Francis has pioneered groundbreaking research and a number of first-in-region trials for advanced, stroke-reducing devices for patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

“You have only one heart. Where you go for care makes all the difference.”

—Richard Shlofmitz, MD, Chairman of Cardiovascular Services

The next generation of health care

Health care is changing from hospitalbased care to community-based care. People prefer to forge long-term relationships with their primary care doctors in order to stay active and live a vibrant and health-conscious life. In many cases, what was once considered complex care no longer needs to be delivered in the inpatient setting.

Catholic Health is accelerating its outpatient strategy, now placing numerous ambulatory care hubs across Long Island. These “medical malls” bring together top-quality primary care providers with first-rate specialists in areas such as cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, oncology, orthopedic surgery and more. Patients can access care at the highest level outside the hospital environment, all under one roof.

“We’re moving from sick care to well care,” said Catholic Health President & CEO Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA. “We have reimagined how and where our patients can access care to help keep people healthier longer. Some of our newer and bigger ambulatory care facilities are essentially bed-less

hospitals, able to provide imaging, accelerate diagnoses, and commence treatment all in one place. Best of all, by scheduling regular well visits with your primary provider, we can get in front of diseases before they spiral. That is going to bend the disease curve and preempt hospitalization for a lot of Long Islanders.”

This “next generation” of health care is coming to dramatic fruition with the launch of Catholic Health’s comprehensive Ambulatory & Urgent Care center, due to open in Centereach this summer. The 63,000-square-foot complex at 2112 Middle Country Road will include an urgent care wing offering walk-in care—providing care when and where you need it.

Similar ambulatory care sites and medical malls are launching across Nassau and parts of Queens, yet with a particular emphasis on Suffolk, where Catholic Health is expanding its presence. This includes the nationally recognized cardiovascular services of St. Francis Heart Center.

“We’ve already expanded access to Bay Shore, Brookhaven, Patchogue, West Islip and West Babylon,” said Catholic Health’s Chief Medical Officer Jason Golbin, DO. “Now we’re bringing St. Francis to points further east. We want all Long Islanders to benefit from the expertise that has earned Catholic Health high honors on the national and international stage. And that medical and surgical excellence is always coupled with a healthy dose of human compassion. It’s just who we are.”

“We’re moving from sick care to well care.”

Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA President & CEO

Spotlight on behavioral health

What are the main issues people you serve at Catholic Health face in terms of behavioral health?

The epidemic of substance use disorders is severely affecting our country. And, in the aftermath of COVID-19, we have seen a dramatic increase of patients who were afraid to seek help during the pandemic and became more depressed and anxious due to isolation and lack of treatment.

We are also seeing an increase in younger patients seeking help in our emergency departments, in part because it is difficult to find appropriate care for this population.

Catholic Health is making every effort possible to accommodate these patients and also to raise awareness of the types of programs available to them. In the emergency department setting, we have a partnership with the Family & Children’s Association and have developed a Sherpa program to help achieve a warm handoff to the appropriate program for each particular patient.

What are your top priorities in behavioral health right now?

As a provider of mental health care, our major concern is to ensure that we always excel in patient-centric care for all patients, all the time. Another priority is staff retention, to continue to provide the highest quality of care. Equally high on our agenda is to remain vigilant for signs of staff burnout and to effectively address it. Catholic Health has a program for physician resilience and well-being, along with other initiatives—such as Recharge Rooms—to combat stress for all staff.

We’re also prioritizing suicide prevention and have developed programs across all Catholic Health hospitals to detect, through appropriate scales, signs and symptoms of suicide in patients.

Tele-psychiatry has become an important tool to provide better access in our

emergency departments. Tele-psychiatry has decreased overnight waiting times by up to 10 hours and ensures that any time of the day or night we have a qualified clinician available.

We’ve also developed a Central Intake Office that matches a patient’s needs to the appropriate facility, also reducing the time patients spend in the emergency department, and our Advanced Discharge Program helps patients find the appropriate receiving facility.

What impact did the pandemic have on our approach to behavioral health?

The pandemic increased the need for behavioral health and accelerated virtual treatments, providing care to a greater number of patients and possibly new populations. That’s been a good thing, as it has allowed more patients to be cared for from their homes.

To learn more about behavioral health and substance use disorder services, visit chsli.org/behavioral-health.

Psychiatrist and program chief Ronald Brenner, MD, discusses Catholic Health’s vital services and emerging priorities

“Tele-psychiatry has become an important tool to provide better access and decrease waiting times.”

—Ronald Brenner, MD, Chief of Behavioral Health

New concept by Tom Colicchio taking root at Catholic Health

A fresh take on dining at St. Francis Hospital

The New York metro area’s very first location of Root & Sprig by Tom Colicchio has opened its doors at Catholic Health’s St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® in Roslyn. The “fast-casual” concept from the executive producer and head judge of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” had previously been introduced at medical centers in Washington, DC, Philadelphia and elsewhere.

“I’m thrilled to be bringing Root & Sprig to Catholic Health,” said eight-time James Beard Award winner Tom Colicchio. “As a longtime resident of Long Island, I’m excited our team will be offering delicious, nutritious and affordable food to health care workers, patients and visitors.”

Founded in 2019, the fast-casual concept by Tom Colicchio and his team at One Goal Hospitality calls attention to the crucial role that food plays in health. This fifth location of Root & Sprig is situated in St. Francis’s newly renovated lobby,

through which hundreds of visitors and staff members pass every day. Root & Sprig has been brought to Catholic Health’s flagship hospital in collaboration with Health Hospitality Partners (HHP), a mission-driven company that brings modern amenities to health care settings. The bold and inspiring restaurant will be hosted at other Catholic Health hospitals in the near future.

“Food is medicine,” said Catholic Health President & CEO Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA. “Consistently eating the wrong foods accelerates disease. Health care must do a better job in promoting healthy food choices. We have to set the example, and that’s why we have chosen to partner with HHP to offer healthy, nutritious food in our hospital lobbies for staff and visitors.”

Making healthy foods available is just one way Catholic Health is working to bend the disease curve. Catholic Health is also committed to addressing food insecurity

in our region through partnerships with Smile Farms®, Meals of Hope, Long Island Cares® and other organizations.

Root & Sprig menu items align with healthy dietary recommendations and feature sandwiches, salads, soups and breakfast items, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free choices. Options include in-store, pick-up, delivery and catering.

Visit rootandsprig.com to view the menu. Or try a signature recipe at home (opposite page).

“I’m thrilled to be bringing Root & Sprig to Catholic Health.”

—Tom Colicchio

Tuna fennel sandwich with lemon confit

Lemon confit:

12 lemons

5 shallots, peeled and minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cup kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

About 4 cups extra virgin olive oil

Plunge the lemons into a pot of boiling water to soften the outer layer. Drain, rinse, then wipe the lemons clean. Dry the lemons and slice them very thin. Discard the ends and seeds. In a small bowl combine the shallots with the garlic. In another bowl, mix the salt with sugar.

Arrange a layer of lemon slices in the bottom of a medium container with a lid, making sure not to overlap the slices. Sprinkle the lemon layer with a little shallot mixture, then with some salt and sugar mixture. Repeat layering in stacks, sprinkling them. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days, flipping the stacks halfway through. Remove, allow lemons to drain in a colander for 15 minutes, then discard the liquid and pack the drained lemons tightly in a jar and top with oil to cover.

Tuna salad:

2 (6 oz.) cans yellowfin or albacore tuna, drained

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 T red onion, finely diced

1 T capers, drained (optional)

2 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried Sicilian oregano) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Adjust the seasoning as needed and refrigerate.

Marinated fennel:

1 medium bulb fennel (about 1/2 lb)

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Remove the stalks from the fennel and reserve the fronds. Use a mandolin slicer or sharp knife to thinly slice the fennel crosswise, starting from the top. Toss the fennel slices in a bowl with oil, lemon juice and reserved fennel fronds; season with salt and pepper.

A reason to smile

Set aside at room temperature to marinate for 10 minutes.

Assemble your sandwich:

1 baguette

3 T mayonnaise

Marinated fennel

4 T pitted and chopped olives (optional)

12 slices lemon confit

Split the baguette lengthwise. Spread the mayonnaise evenly across the bottom slice and layer the tuna salad, fennel, olives and lemon confit. Drizzle some of the oil from the confit on the inside of the top slice of the baguette. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Supported by a $15,000 donation from the Harris Beach PLLC law firm, the garden is tended by patients in Catholic Health’s Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) Program, with training and wages provided by Smile Farms. Produce grown in the garden is being shared with food-insecure individuals at the Mercy Family Care Center, a clinic for women and children, located in Rockville Centre.

The garden is just one part of Catholic Health’s multifaceted food insecurity initiative, which also includes emergency food “to-go” bags, distributed in Catholic Health’s six emergency departments to qualifying patients. Recipients also get referrals to community-based organizations to identify other resources, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

This spring, Catholic Health celebrated the opening of the Smile Farms® Cooperative Garden at Mercy Hospital Outpatient Behavioral Health Center in Garden City. The garden supports those in treatment for behavioral health issues, while also helping to combat food insecurity on Long Island.

Scan the QR code to listen to a conversation between our President & CEO Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA, and podcast host Jim McCann of 1-800-FLOWERS.

Through our patients’ eyes

Offering the latest technology and expertise is important, but it’s only meaningful if it truly benefits patients. At Catholic Health, we’re proud of the trust patients place in us. Here’s what they have to say:

In 2007, NYPD officer Scot Abrams was on his police motorcycle, taking part in a funeral procession, when he was suddenly cut off. He lost control of the motorcycle and hit a bus head-on. When he woke up in the hospital, he was told he’d suffered a spinal cord injury, as well as a compound fracture; his entire left side was paralyzed.

Scot spent months in the hospital, relearning to speak, eat and even walk again using a cane and a leg brace. Finally, he returned to his home in Massapequa and continued physical therapy, starting at St. Charles Hospital Rehabilitation in Albertson. “They helped me achieve a quality of life that others told me I’d never have,” said Scot.

Even 16 years later, Scot is still getting occupational and physical therapy

through St. Charles, currently at our location in Commack. “From the start to the present, the staff has been nothing but supportive and positive. They keep coming up with new ways to improve my mobility and help me get stronger.”

Last September, Scot, his wife Tara, and their 16-year-old son, Josh, completed the 5K Tunnels to Towers race in New York City (Josh pushed Scot in his wheelchair), an event that raises money for first responders.

Said Scot: “I always look forward to going to rehab, because I know I am in good hands. If it wasn’t for the knowledge and experience that the staff has, I probably would not be doing what I do with my family, and I wouldn’t be where I am mentally, in a great place.”

Gary Francis, an MRI technologist at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, was diagnosed with diabetes in 2019 and had been controlling his condition with medication. But that doesn’t mean it’s been easy for him. We want to be there for our employees when they become patients, which is what happened to Gary. Last spring, he was admitted to St. Catherine with dangerously elevated sugar levels. That’s when he learned about Catholic Health’s Diabetes Management Program, which offers resources to improve health and prevent complications from diabetes. Gary’s back in control now and very grateful. “The support from the program is amazing, and I’m so thankful for their help.”

“I’m so thankful for their help.”

“I know I am in good hands.”

Gifts of gratitude

Catholic Health nurses are held in the highest esteem by patients and their families, as well as by colleagues and the community. Our hospitals have invested vigorously in our nurses’ lifesaving work, with the support of our generous benefactors. To assist this work and encourage future nursing professionals, Catholic Health secured the following funding last year:

• A $250,000 challenge grant awarded to Mercy Hospital for Nursing Leadership & Education, to be matched by $250,000 in donor dollars in 2023.

• A $250,000 challenge grant awarded to Good Samaritan University Hospital for Nursing Leadership & Education, which immediately attracted a $150,000 match commitment from the Helen Hoffritz Charitable Foundation. An additional $100,000 in matching donor dollars will be raised in 2023.

• A $100,000 grant awarded from the William E. and Maude S. Pritchard Charitable Trust to launch a Nurse Residency Program at Good Shepherd Hospice, followed by a $500,000 gift from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to expand this program for both hospice and home care nursing recruits.

• A $4 million permanent endowment at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® for Nursing Leadership & Education, created with support from hundreds of grateful donors. This creates a permanent resource that will sustain nursing excellence at St. Francis.

“I am so proud to be part of the incredible nursing team at Catholic Health,” said Catholic Health’s Chief Nursing Officer Gara Edelstein, MSN, RN, NE-BC. “I am in awe of their many accomplishments and their unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality of care to the patients we serve every day.”

The exceptional caliber of our nursing staff is an inspiration to future nursing professionals. Our partnerships with educational institutions in our region— such as St. John’s University, Molloy University, Suffolk County Community College,

Adelphi University and local high schools—will help foster careers in health care in the years to come.

To further promote the nursing profession, we also provide ongoing education for school nurses to meet the emerging needs of high school students, first aid certification for secondary-level faculty and athletic staff, and other programs, with more in development.

“Nurses are the beating heart of Catholic Health,” said Chief Development Officer Peggy Maher. “It is profoundly encouraging to see how keen Catholic Health donors are to show their gratitude toward our nursing professionals.”

If you are inspired to make a gift in support of our nurses, you can use the Donate button on any of our Catholic Health hospital websites or call (516) 563-7961.

Prayer of gratitude

Grant us, Lord, grateful hearts for the freedom and opportunities we have received.

Help us to take pride in our beloved country and to be ever mindful of our veterans and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We ask You to send Your protection upon our soldiers who fight for our liberty and way of life.

May we always be thankful for the gift of life, and may the way we live be our gift back to You, with Your love and guidance.

We ask this in Your Holy Name. Amen.

“I am so proud to be part of the incredible nursing team at Catholic Health.”

Gara Edelstein, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Officer