Meet Emily, Mammography Technologist and Health Raiser

Today, Emily Zafonte is a mammography technologist at Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital, but she has held other imaging roles during her career – from an activity coordinator to a radiologic technologist. Her passion for working in health care and her devotion to delivering quality patient care has remained the same.

In her current role, Emily performs screening and diagnostic mammograms, including positioning patients, operating imaging equipment, ensuring radiation safety, and reviewing images for quality to aid in diagnoses. She also assists with patient care by explaining procedures, easing anxieties and maintaining accurate records, all while following quality control and regulatory standards.

Emily began her career with Northwell in 2014 at Northern Westchester Hospital as an activity coordinator. She was initially attracted to Northwell because she connected with the organization’s mission. “The patient-centered care and the constant innovation and technology used to give the best care to our patients is what originally attracted me to Northwell,” said Emily.

As an activity coordinator, Emily greeted patients, checked them in for their radiology exams, organized paperwork, scheduled appointments and called patients with reminders and prep instructions. She also assisted in patient care as needed by the technologist and department. Emily worked as an activity coordinator while she was in school to become a radiology technologist. Her program provided her access to clinical sites, including Phelps Hospital and Northern Westchester Hospital. She began her role as a radiologic technologist in 2018 at Northern Westchester Hospital.

Within radiology, Emily was able to explore different modalities, and through this exploration, she found that mammography was the perfect fit for her. She is enthusiastic about building meaningful relationships with her patients and her top priority is to provide the best patient care for the individuals she helps. “I love comforting my patients, being a familiar face for them year after year, putting them at ease during stressful times and most importantly, delivering the best care possible,” said Emily.

Emily is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in allied health sciences. Thanks to Northwell’s tuition reimbursement program, Emily can balance her full-time career, while taking classes online and fulfilling her role as a mother to her two boys, Nico and Louie. Throughout her time at Northwell, Emily has been grateful for the tools and encouragement to advance her career. She shared, “My leadership team is always so supportive, providing me with any necessary training within the department. They are also very open to any questions that I may have.”

When asked if she had any advice for those looking to get their start in radiology, Emily immediately encouraged others to explore the field just as she did to find her passion. She stressed the many possibilities for anyone to find their niche and true passion, including working in both inpatient and outpatient care at the hospital.

From state-of-the-art technology to accurately interpreting the details of every scan, our imaging team members work hard to make a positive impact on the lives of our patients. Discover a career well cared for with our imaging team and learn more about opportunities at Northwell Health today.

A Journey of Self-Reflection and Career Progression: Meet Diana, Clinical Lab Technician, Histology

At Northwell Health, our clinical laboratory technicians work behind the scenes to perform clinical laboratory tasks that aide in the diagnosis of illnesses. Using the nation’s most advanced technology, Northwell’s clinical laboratory professionals can deliver accurate information to help inform and contribute to vital healthcare decisions. Meet Diana P., one of Northwell Health’s dedicated clinical laboratory technicians in our histology department.

Diana started her career journey at Northwell Health in 2011 when she was just 22-years old as a patient care associate at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). At the time, she did not have a specific career path or industry in mind. She was not sure she even wanted to work in the healthcare industry. Diana worked as a patient care associate for over five years. Then, she was temporarily placed in NSUH’s histology department. While working in histology, Diana was exposed to a different side of patient care that she was never exposed to before. She realized that health care was her calling and was compelled to begin building her career. In 2016, Diana was offered a permanent position and began working as a clinical lab associate on NSUH’s pathology team, the same department where she first discovered her passion for the field. Working alongside her fellow colleagues, Diana was motivated to return to school to become a clinical laboratory technologist and is in the process of continuing her education to do so.

Throughout her time at Northwell, Diana learned to welcome change, which led her to her current career path. As a clinical laboratory technician at Northwell’s North Shore University Hospital, Diana is responsible for handling and processing patient tissue specimens received by the pathology department and embedding, cutting and staining these specimens so they can be reviewed by a pathologist for patient diagnosis. She also maintains laboratory equipment, supplies and ensures a safe working environment in the laboratory for her team members. Diana is grateful that Northwell has supported her and allowed her to advance from one position to another along her career journey. “During my time with Northwell Health, I have been given the opportunity to advance from one position to another with leaders and team members who support my career growth.”

Discover a career well cared for at Northwell Health and learn more about available clinical laboratory opportunities.