April 12, 2021

S2E6: Michael Dowling – Health Care Optimist

S2E6: Michael Dowling – Health Care Optimist

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Growing up in rural poverty in Co. Limerick, Michael Dowling was surrounded by a “cacophony of nos.”

Fortunately for Dowling there was no better motivation than being told he couldn’t do something.

That spirit and a prodigious amount of hard work propelled him through University College Cork, success on the hurling pitch, further education and a professorship at Fordham, a long run as director of Health, Education and Human Service for his mentor Gov. Mario Cuomo, to his role today as the self-described “health care optimist” who leads New York State’s largest health care system and largest private employer as CEO of Northwell Health.

Dowling tells an epic immigrant’s tale in his new memoir “After the Roof Caved In: An Immigrant's Journey from Ireland to America” and in conversation with Martin Nutty and John Lee on this episode of Irish Stew.

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Michael Dowling

CEO Northwell Health

Michael Dowling is one of health care’s most influential voices, taking a stand on societal issues such as gun violence and immigration that many health system CEOs shy away from. As president and CEO of Northwell Health, he leads a clinical, academic and research enterprise with a workforce of more than 75,000 and annual revenue of $14 billion. Northwell is the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State, caring for more than two million people annually through a vast network of more than 830 outpatient facilities, including 220 primary care practices, 52 urgent care centers, home care, rehabilitation and end-of-life programs, and 23 hospitals.

Northwell also pursues pioneering research at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and a visionary approach to medical education highlighted by the Zucker School of Medicine, the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, and one of the nation’s largest medical residency and fellowship programs.

Mr. Dowling’s leadership has been invaluable to Northwell’s consistent expansion and prominence. In 2020, he successfully navigated the health system through the first COVID-19 epicenter in the US, detailing his experiences in Leading Through a Pandemic: The Inside Story of Humanity, Innovation, and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Crisis. Overall, Northwell has treated more than 150,000 COVID patients, and the health system utilized a strong innovative culture to expand hospital bed capacity (adding 2,000 beds in two weeks), 3D-print nasal swabs for COVID test… Read More