Ex-Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone hired by Northwell Health for an operations role on Staten Island

Former Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has been hired by Northwell Health to be an operations executive, the health system confirmed to Newsday on Friday.

Bellone, 54, will serve as an assistant vice president of operations and will focus on projects at Staten Island University Hospital and its outpatient centers, according to Barbara Osborn, vice president of public relations at Northwell.

“Steve’s knowledge and years of experience in public service will be valuable in supporting Northwell’s regional operational model to achieve greater efficiency in delivering clinical services,” she said, adding that he started the new job on Monday.

Bellone, of West Babylon, praised Northwell's role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, when he worked with the nonprofit health system and others on ways to slow the coronavirus' spread and protect vulnerable populations.

"I look forward to learning the business of health care from some of the best people in the industry and contributing in any way that I can to the success of the Northwell Health mission," he told Newsday.

The Staten Island hospital, where Bellone will be based, has 668 beds across two campuses.  It is best known for heart care, women's health and neurosurgery.

The hospital is part of Northwell’s western region, which also encompasses Lenox Hill Hospital and Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, both in New York City, as well as Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco and Phelps Hospital in Tarrytown.

Northwell’s footprint in the region would grow if its proposed merger with Nuvance Health is approved by regulators. Nuvance has seven hospitals in the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut.

Bellone, a Democrat, was first elected Suffolk executive in 2011 and won two subsequent elections before term limits led him to leave the corner office in county hall on Dec. 31. 

His tenure was marked by highs and lows, including greater protection of drinking water, downtown revitalization, police department turmoil and a cybersecurity attack that shut down the county’s computer network for months.

Previously, Bellone served as Babylon Town supervisor and board member. As supervisor, he championed the ongoing housing and retail project, Wyandanch Rising, which has removed blight in the hamlet. He is a U.S. Army veteran.

Bellone is the latest government leader to be hired by New Hyde Park-based Northwell, which is the state’s largest private-sector employer with more than 85,000 workers.

John J. Flanagan Jr., former Republican majority leader of the state Senate, serves as Northwell’s senior vice president of governmental affairs. He was hired in 2020.

Kevan Abrahams, former Democratic minority leader of the Nassau County Legislature, is Northwell's director of strategic planning — a job he held while serving as a lawmaker.

Michael Dowling, Northwell's CEO and president for 22 years, spent a dozen years in state government, including as social services commissioner and human services adviser to then-Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, a Democrat.

Northwell has 21 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient centers in the metropolitan area. Still, despite its size, Northwell faces intense competition from other health systems, such as NYU Langone Health, Mount Sinai Health System and Catholic Health.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.