Catholic Health CEO appointed to state development council

Dr. Patrick M. O’Shaughnessy, president and CEO of Catholic Health, has been appointed to a panel that helps determine where state business-aid goes on Long Island.

O’Shaughnessy attended his first meeting of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council on Thursday.

He succeeds Stratis Philippis who resigned after about one year on the 22-member council.

Philippis was general council and chief compliance officer at the Bountiful Company, a manufacturer of vitamins and nutritional supplements based in Ronkonkoma. He now is chief legal officer at Goli Nutrition, which sells supplements in gummy and bite form and is headquartered in California.

Council members are not paid and are appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

O’Shaughnessy said, “I’m happy to lead our second largest health system … I am committed to helping economically develop the region.”

He was tapped to head Catholic Health in April 2021. It employs nearly 16,000 people at six hospitals, three nursing homes, a hospice, a home health service and physicians’ offices.

The development council, along with nine others across New York State, was established by then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2011. Since then, the councils have competed for a share of up to $750 million in grants and tax credits each year from about a dozen state agencies.

The Long Island council has secured $800 million for more than 1,000 projects in 10 competitions, according to executive director Cara Longworth. State fiscal problems caused by COVID-19 led to the cancellation of the 2020 contest.

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.