Northwell Health agrees to provide top executives to run NUMC

Northwell Health has agreed to provide an interim president and CEO for Nassau University Medical Center and build a senior leadership team in a temporary partnership aimed at turning around the financially struggling East Meadow hospital.

Under the six-month agreement approved Thursday night by the board of NuHealth, the public benefit corporation that runs NUMC, Winnie Mack, Northwell's senior vice president of health system operations, would run the public hospital. She would start  on the job Friday , officials said. 

 Northwell also would draw up a five-year strategic plan that includes a framework for improving patient care.

NuHealth officials said the agreement will not cost NUMC any money. 

NuHealth chairman George Tsunis said Northwell would be "assisting NUMC in a transformative rebirth — a turnaround."

Northwell would fill "key positions at NUMC with experienced health care professionals," Tsunis said. The health system would "build out a complete management infrastructure." 

The agreement requires approval by the state Department of Health, according to Northwell and the NuHealth officials.

Erin Silk, a state Health Department spokeswoman, said in a statement: “The Department is aware that NUMC and Northwell are entering into a Letter of Intent, pursuant to which Northwell would provide staff to perform certain management functions. When the Department receives such agreements from NUMC, we will review for compliance with applicable regulations.”

Mack of Bayville is a former executive director at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore. She has more than 40 years of experience as a nurse and hospital administrator, according a biography on Northwell's website. 

Mack would report to the NuHealth board, which has the option of extending the employee lease agreement with Northwell, Tsunis said

Tsunis said Northwell could fill other top positions, such as chief operating officer, and leaders of the departments overseeing such functions as information technology, billing, facilities and maintenance.

Tsunis said up to 40 or 50 Northwell employees could be involved with work at the hospital, many limited to smaller tasks such as preparing financial statements.

All the employees would be on Northwell's payroll, Tsunis said.

"It's not a takeover," said Tsunis, who described the plan as an effort to bring in "management expertise."

The hospital is struggling with unfunded employee benefit liabilities and incurs annual losses and operating deficits. The public safety net hospital treats many patients who have low income and are uninsured. Nassau County no longer subsidizes NuHealth, but backs about $202 million of its debt, according to recent figures.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat who appointed Tsunis as board chairman in February, said the "partnership with a premier health care organization in the country means, simply, better access to quality health care for all of our residents."

Curran also said she hoped the partnership would improve the "patient mix" at NUMC.

“You want to have more people deciding to have their babies there, more people deciding to use the services there . . . because the quality is that good," Curran said.

Terry Lynam, a Northwell spokesman, said NUMC and Northwell have had an affiliation since 2005. Areas of partnership involved physician recruitment and development of clinical programs. 

But although positive strides have been made, the "situation still requires additional attention," Lynam said.

"They obviously provide vital services to low-income communities throughout the county . We feel it’s part of our mission to try to assist in any way we can to help sustain" NUMC, Lynam said.

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler covers Nassau County government and politics for Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.