Honoring the Heart of Huntington Hospital: Our Nurses

By: Nick Fitterman, MD, president, Huntington Hospital and Marie Mulligan, PhD, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, FAAN, vice president nursing and chief nursing officer, Huntington Hospital

As we celebrate Nurses Week, we find ourselves reflecting on the extraordinary compassion, strength, and resilience of the nurses who serve our Huntington Hospital community. Every day, 800 of these dedicated professionals walk through our doors with one mission: to care for every patient as though they were family. And it is because of them that Huntington Hospital continues to be a place where patients receive “The right care, every touch, every time.”

When people think of nurses, they often picture the bedside caregiver offering a reassuring touch or a calm voice in a moment of fear. And while that image is beautiful and true, it only begins to capture the countless ways our nurses shape the care experience within these walls. They are the heartbeat of our hospital.

Their commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care has earned Huntington Hospital some of the most prestigious recognitions in health care. Thanks to their relentless dedication and high standards, Huntington Hospital continues to hold top ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an acknowledgment that speaks volumes about the quality and safety of the care we provide.

These exceptional outcomes are possible because our nurses are supported with the resources, teamwork, and environment they need to do their best work.

We are also proud to have achieved Magnet® recognition five times, the highest honor for nursing excellence granted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This accomplishment is a testament to the professional practice environment our nurses have built — one where evidence-based care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and continuous learning thrive. And, most recently, Huntington Hospital was Ranked Among the Nation’s Best by U.S. News & World Report for consistently delivering exceptional care across multiple specialties. This recognition reflects the clinical excellence, teamwork, and compassion our nurses demonstrate every day, ensuring that our patients receive world-class care close to home.

Behind every award, every national ranking, and every grateful patient story is a nurse who made a difference. It’s the nurse who catches a subtle change in a patient’s condition and prevents a complication. The one who stays late to comfort a family. The one who mentors
a new graduate, ensuring the next generation of caregivers carries forward the same commitment to excellence.

This Nurses Week, and every week, we want to say thank you. Thank you to the remarkable nurses of Huntington Hospital for your courage, your compassion, and your extraordinary service to our patients and community. You are not only the backbone of our hospital — you are the heart.
Huntington Hospital and Northwell Health will continue to support our nurses so that we maintain this level of excellence.

Happy Nurses Week. We are endlessly proud of you.