In the offices, conference rooms and medical units at Winthrop, people often reminisce
about their family histories with our hospital. It is truly remarkable how many
people have life-long relationships with Winthrop (previously Nassau Hospital), and
the fondness of those memories. For many people, Winthrop is very much a part of
their family history – and they are very much
a part of its legacy of caring.
Dennis Sheridan, Vice President, Administration, and his two
sons were born at Winthrop. Dennis worked here for two summers as
an orderly in the Open Heart Operating Room while he was a college
student and joined the hospital’s Administration in 1996. His father also
worked at Nassau Hospital as a teen, cleaning glassware in the Lab.
Bill Gille, Director of
Security, was born at Nassau
Hospital, as were his two sons.
Stacey Avedisian, RN,
a nurse on Labor & Delivery, was
born here – one of triplets, who
surprised mom and dad and their
doctor. Her sister, Diane
Morrison Sheedy, also works at
Winthrop in the Sleep Disorders
Center, and their father worked
here in the 1990s.
Cristina Mendes, RN, Assistant Nurse
Manager on the Pediatric ICU, and her siblings
were born here; she was a candystriper
in high school. Her husband, Carlos Mendes,
works in Winthrop’s Electrophysiology Lab
and her cousin Suzanne Silva works for the
Winthrop Employees Federal Credit Union.
Her soon-to-be-born baby will be delivered
at Winthrop as well!
Susan Preziosi, RN,
Nurse Manager on 3
Main, was one of six
siblings born here; her
mom was a nurse at
Nassau Hospital in the
1950s and Susan has
been employed here
since 1984.
Denise Hodish, Central Staffing
Manager in the Department of Nursing,
was born here and served as a candystriper
when she was a teen. She has
been employed here since 1972, and her
children were born here.
Michael C. Stroud, President of Atlas
Investigations in Garden City, survived a
difficult birth thanks to the life-saving care of
doctors at Nassau Hospital. His daughter and
parents have also been patients at Winthrop
over the years. A business affiliate of the
Hospital, he is also the founding chairman of
the annual Golf Outing to benefit Winthrop’s
Cancer Center for Kids (CCFK), which to date
has raised more than $200,000.
Patrick K. Long, President and CEO of
Formed Plastics, Inc., in Carle Place, is a
long-time member and former chairman of
the Winthrop Board of Directors. Mr.
Long, two of his children, and four grandchildren
were born at Winthrop; his
granddaughters Caroline and Catie are
graduates of the NICU.
Garry Schwall, Winthrop’s
Chief Operating Officer, began his
life at Nassau Hospital and joined
Winthrop’s Administration in 1993.
Wendy Goldstein, Director
of Public Affairs at Winthrop,
was born here and delivered her
two sons here – the first of
whom was delivered by the same
obstetrician who delivered her.
Cristin Reardon, PCA, on the
Pediatric Unit, was born at Winthrop and
delivered her daughter here in 1995.
Lorraine Greene, RN, of
Winthrop’s Certified Home
Health Agency, was born here
and began working at Winthrop
25 years ago; she delivered both
of her sons at Winthrop.
Lorraine’s sister Laura Grau,
Manager of Volunteer Services,
along with her two children,
were also born at Winthrop.
Palmira Cataliotti, Senior
Vice President and CFO of
Winthrop, was born here, grew up
in Mineola, and served as a candystriper
as a teen. She joined the
Finance team in 1997, and delivered
her daughters Julia Maria
and Sofia Faye here as well.
Other notable connections include:
Rosemary Cinquemani, Garden City resident, donor and business affiliate.
Rosemary was born at Winthrop, is co-chair of the CCFK Golf Outing and her
law firm Furey, Kerley, Walsh, Matera and Cinquemani, P.C., represents
Winthrop, which is still her family’s hospital of choice; Suzanne Parker,
Director of Quality Management at Winthrop, was born here and has worked
at Winthrop since 1985, followed by her daughter Elizabeth Wolfrom, RN,
who is a nurse in the Medical ICU; Yolanda Vineyard, a member of the Health
Information Management team, was also born here and has been employed at
Winthrop since 2004; Kristen Bello-Rojas, RN, Educator in Critical Care, was
born at Nassau Hospital and became an employee on her 22nd birthday. And
while Barbara Kohart Kleine, Vice President, Administration, was not born
here, her mother was born at Nassau Hospital in 1926 and the family has had
a life-long relationship with the hospital.
If you have a lifelong history with Winthrop, please feel free to send your
story to Legacy@winthrop.org.
Winthrop Legacy: A Nurses Story
My mother, Jean Guthlein, was a nurse at Nassau Hospital in
the 1950s, and my five siblings and I were all born here. My
mother left her nursing job in 1957 to raise her family, and 12
years later, she was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.
Even though our family had moved out east on Long
Island by then, it was Nassau Hospital where my mother had
her many surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. My dad
recalls that he always felt comfortable with my mom at Nassau
Hospital, as did she. He remembers a very special nursing
supervisor named Mrs. Dalton, and he would always notify
Mrs. Dalton when my mom was admitted. He said it gave
them great comfort to know that someone cared and would look
out for her when he needed to be at home with his six young
children. Despite great care, my mom passed away at age 43
in 1974...
As a nurse manager now, I can relate to patients’ and
their families’ struggles. I always try to make the patient and
his/her family as comfortable as possible as does the rest of my
staff. I know first hand how important it is to provide a caring
environment and to keep the patient and their family informed
and involved in their care.
Maybe some day I or a member of my dedicated staff will
be the “Mrs. Dalton” in someone else’s life.
S.P., RN
Nurse Manager
Winthrop-University Hospital
Generations
Laura Grau, Manager of
Volunteer Services and the
Gift Shop at Winthrop,
and her sister Lorraine
Greene, RN, a nurse with
Winthrop’s Certified Home
Health Agency,
were born at Winthrop in the
1960s and both delivered
their children here. Both
families continue to carry on
the Winthrop Legacy. Laura’s
son Elan is a
transporter at Winthrop and
daughter Lauren is a
junior volunteer. Lorraine,
who joined the Winthrop
team 25 years ago
as a cashier, is now
participating in a
Winthrop-sponsored
Bachelor of Science in
Nursing degree program, and
her son Sean, works as a
transporter at the hospital.
|
Vol. 20, No. 1
Winter/Spring 2010
Back to Publications
|
