MANHASSET, NY – The North Shore-LIJ Health System today announced the appointment of Deborah Johnson-Schiff as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for its Physician and Ambulatory Network Services (PAANS).

In her new role, Ms. Johnson-Schiff will develop strategies to expand and build relationships with the health system’s network of more than 9,000 employed and community physicians, and provide greater opportunities for North Shore-LIJ ambulatory programs to enhance services to the more than seven million people in the health system’s coverage area throughout Long Island and New York City.

“As healthcare reform begins to take hold at the local level, Debbie’s proven track record in building relationships among physician groups, patients and the greater community will benefit all involved,” said Dennis Dowling, regional executive director of PAANS. “She will use her extensive expertise to strengthen ties with the health system’s employed and community based physicians, improve the quality of care we deliver and ensure that our clinical services are meeting the full continuum of care.”

“This is an exciting time to join the North Shore-LIJ Health System,” said Ms. Johnson-Schiff. “We have reached a pivotal moment in the history of healthcare both nationally and locally. Given the combination of dramatic changes in healthcare and its delivery, and an increasingly diverse and older population in our region, we must continually update services with our providers and consumers to ensure we are improving the health status of the communities we serve.”

Ms. Johnson-Schiff comes to North Shore-LIJ from Winthrop University Hospital, where she served for more than 20 years in progressive roles in nursing and administration; most recently, as the senior vice president of administration. During her tenure, she led the women and children’s service lines, the nephrology/dialysis network, patient safety and quality management, the primary care network, physician acquisition and integration, the referral channel development program, marketing, public affairs, home care, wellness programs, health information management, radiology and emergency medicine.

Currently Ms. Johnson-Schiff serves on the board of directors of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, and the Hispanic Counseling Center, and is involved with the Coalition to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare in Nassau County. She received clinical and administrative degrees with a nursing diploma from the Queens Hospital Center School of Nursing and a bachelor’s degree in health administration from St. Joseph’s College. She is also a graduate of The Energia Partnership of the Academy for Regional Stewardship at Molloy College.

About North Shore- LIJ Health System:
The nation's second-largest, non-profit, secular healthcare system, the North Shore-LIJ Health System cares for people of all ages throughout Long Island, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island – a service area encompassing more than seven million people. The winner of the National Quality Forum’s 2010 National Quality Healthcare Award, the North Shore-LIJ Health System consists of 15 hospitals, 17 long-term care facilities, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, three trauma centers, five home health agencies, a hospice network and dozens of outpatient centers. In addition, North Shore-LIJ is partnering with Hofstra University to develop a new medical school, which will admit its first class in 2011. North Shore-LIJ’s owned facilities house about 5,600 beds, employ more than 10,000 nurses and have affiliations with more than 9,000 physicians. Its workforce of about 42,000 is the largest on Long Island and the ninth largest in New York City. For more information, go to www.northshorelij.com.

Media Contact: Kristen Longo
516-465-2607/2600
klongo@nshs.edu