From administration to patient care: Discover Rafiatou’s career journey as a medical assistant

Jun 30, 2026/in Career Paths, Clinical Care, Featured Articles /by mperlman

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From administration to patient care: Discover Rafiatou’s career journey as a medical assistant

At Northwell, our medical assistants are committed to our mission in providing the highest quality care to the communities we serve.

Rafiatou Kouanda began her career with Northwell in a temporary medical assistant role in 2020. In 2021, she moved into a permanent role as a medical assistant in internal medicine at Northwell Health Physician Partners (NHPP) in Manhattan.

As a medical assistant, Rafiatou was responsible for clinical and administrative tasks. This included managing patient intakes, obtaining vital signs and medical histories, as well as assisting clinical staff during patient examinations. She also oversaw scheduling, facilitated patient payments and insurance and handled referrals.

This led Rafiatou to her current role as a senior medical assistant at NHPP. As a senior medical assistant, Rafiatou has the same responsibilities she had as a medical assistant, plus the responsibility of training and mentoring new team members and optimizing workflow efficiency.

Rafiatou is passionate about her current role and providing compassionate care to patients throughout their health journey. She credits Northwell with providing her with a career where she feels valued and empowered to grow. “Northwell’s inclusive culture and commitment to employee well-being drives me to succeed,” said Rafiatou. “At Northwell, I am grateful for my work environment, where I am able to fully embrace my professional aspirations and develop my skills.”

Rafiatou is grateful that Northwell invests in her professionally by fostering a work environment that promotes collaboration, teamwork and continuing education. She shared how her team members build her up. “Support from leadership and my colleagues has helped me grow my abilities and stay adaptable as I continue to explore my long-term career goal of attending nursing school in the future,” said Rafiatou.

Grow your career as a medical assistant at Northwell today.

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From the U.S. Army to Northwell: Steven’s Journey in Leadership and Service

Jun 30, 2026/in Veterans /by kmorello

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From the U.S. Army to Northwell: Steven’s Journey in Leadership and Service

At Northwell Health, we recognize how veterans and military service members bring a unique sense of discipline and commitment to service into the workplace. For Steven Ellis, a supervisor of security at Northwell’s Zucker Hillside Hospital (ZHH), those qualities have shaped both his military journey and his career growth at Northwell.
Today, Steven oversees the day-to-day safety and security operations at ZHH, helping ensure a safe environment for team members, patients and visitors. In his role, he supports the department’s goals by mentoring officers, strengthening teamwork skills and delivering exceptional customer service. He also works closely with leadership to help maintain operational standards across the hospital.

What excites Steven most about his role is the opportunity to serve others while helping his team succeed. “I love the day-to-day interaction with people across all departments,” he shares. “One of the most rewarding parts of my role is mentoring officers, helping them build confidence and giving them the tools they need to succeed.”
Growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s, Steven saw the military as an opportunity to build direction, discipline and purpose. He served for six years in the U.S. Army as a Specialist 4 (SPC) Pershing Missile Crewman, where he was responsible for supporting operational readiness. This role required precision, accountability, teamwork and the ability to perform under pressure while working in a highly structured environment. “The military helped shape me into the disciplined and focused person I am today,” says Steven.

Those experiences continue to influence the way Steven approaches his career at Northwell. The leadership, discipline, teamwork and commitment to service he developed in the Army have translated well into a healthcare environment. Steven now helps create a safe, supportive experience for patients, visitors and team members alike.
Steven’s director, Michael McCabe, became an important mentor throughout his journey at Northwell. “I knew I found a home I wanted to grow with at Northwell,” Steven says. “It is rewarding to have resources and mentors available who believe in my abilities and offer assignments to help me learn and grow.”

Since joining Northwell two years ago, Steven has already experienced significant career growth. He took advantage of Northwell’s professional development resources, completed leadership classes through our Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI). His hard work and dedication led to his promotion to his current role. Today, Steven serves as the supervisor of the morning team at ZHH, where he continues to lead with the same commitment to service that guided him during his time in the military.

For veterans looking to continue their career journey, Steven encourages others to, “take advantage of all the resources Northwell provides. Most importantly, be willing to learn and grow.”

At Northwell, we are proud to support veterans, military service members and their families with opportunities, health and wellness services, on-the-job paid training programs, and resources that help them build meaningful civilian careers.

Start your next mission with our team at Northwell.

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Explore careers as a paramedic at Northwell Health.

Jun 23, 2026/in Career Paths, Featured Articles /by kaiello

Explore careers starting as a paramedic at Northwell Health.

At Northwell Health, our team members are dedicated to the well-being of our patients and the communities we serve. Our paramedics are an essential part of the care team, delivering advanced emergency care in the field and during transport to the hospital. When you explore a career well cared for in paramedics, you’ll find a fulfilling career with opportunities to expand your clinical skills, pursue new certifications and advance your education.

Paramedics conduct medical evaluations and provide care to adult and pediatric patients before and during transport by ambulance.

Here are the qualifications required for a paramedic at Northwell:

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Current Paramedic Certification in New York State, plus specialized certifications as needed. Current NYREMAC.
Driver’s license valid in New York State required, without violations.
One to three (1-3) years of relevant experience, required.

Ready to explore a career at Northwell? Learn more about how you can begin your journey and see how Christian and Timothy took different paths. Their inspiring career journeys demonstrate how starting as a paramedic can unlock many career opportunities at Northwell.

Christian

2010 – Paramedic II – Center for Emergency Medical Services
2014 – Paramedic Supervisor – Center for Emergency Medical Services
2016 – Manager – North Shore University Hospital
2018 – Administrative Director – North Shore University Hospital
2021 – Assistant Vice President – North Shore University Hospital
Current position – Vice President – Northwell Health

Click here to learn more about Christian’s transition from clinical care to operations.

Timothy

1999 – Paramedic II – Center for Emergency Medical Services
2002 – Lead Paramedic – Center for Emergency Medical Services
2013 – Registered Nurse Data Coordinator – South Shore University Hospital
2019 – Practice Nurse Practitioner – Northwell Health Physician Partners
2020 – Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – South Shore University Hospital
2021 – Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – Northwell Health
Current position – Nurse Practitioner – Northwell Health

For the complete job profiles of each role, we invite you to visit NorthwellCareers.com or view our available paramedic roles here.

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Empowering career growth through Northwell Health’s Career Advisement Program

Jun 15, 2026/in Career Paths /by sgreer2

Empowering career growth through Northwell Health’s Career Advisement Program

At Northwell Health, team members have access to a wide range of professional resources and development programs designed to support career growth and advancement. Northwell’s Career Advisement Program is a structured five-month experience that offers in-person and virtual advisement opportunities, guided learning sessions, networking events and insights from field experts across various professions.

We connected with two recent participants, advisor Gloria Touma and advisee Nicole Savage, to learn more about their experiences. Each shared the value of career advisement and how Northwell continues to encourage career exploration and professional development for its team members.

Advisor: Gloria Touma – Food Service Manager, Food and Nutrition Department

After joining Northwell in 2021, Gloria began her role as the food and dining service manager at Zucker Hillside Hospital, and after a year, advanced to managing food and dining services across multiple Northwell hospitals. Today, Gloria leads food service operations at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center, and the Katz Women’s Institute, where she drives team performance with strategic objectives and ensures exceptional service.

In her role as an advisor within the Career Advisement Program, Gloria focused on supporting team members in the early stages of self-reflection and career exploration by sharing insights into her role and guidance on how to navigate the available development resources. Gloria has provided several advisees with insight into specific job functions within the food service department and her professional experience throughout her career. Through one-on-one coaching, she guided her advisees around the program’s resources, including resume writing and interview preparation, while helping them prepare for the future.

Gloria believes the Career Advisement Program plays a vital role in supporting the career development of any Northwell team member. “We are able to connect and directly inform participants about opportunities at Northwell, foster engagement with department leaders and enhance awareness. This allows us to have a better chance to support our team members in achieving their goals.”

Advisee: Nicole Savage – Lead Administrative Support Assistant

Nicole joined Northwell in 2021 as an administrative assistant, where she spent her time collecting patient records, managing workflow and communicating with team members to ensure everyone had all the information needed to succeed within her department. She joined the advisement program in 2025 because she felt it was “incredibly important to help people gain exposure to areas of Northwell that they might not have had the chance to explore or even know about.” It is this kind of guidance and support from career advisors within the program that helps team members like Nicole discover their interests, build their skills, and kickstart their career exploration at Northwell.

What Nicole loved most about participating in the program was meeting people from various departments. She focused on connecting with advisors to learn more about how to move forward in her role. She attended networking events, asked for advice and used the program’s practical tools to help advance her career.

Nicole attributed this experience to her continued growth, as she was recently promoted to a lead administrative support assistant for the department. “My manager has been in my corner throughout my career journey. She gives me excellent feedback and suggestions about how I can grow in my role based on her experience – and she supported me in participating in this program,” Nicole said.

Take the next step in your career and join our team today.

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