St. Joseph Hospital names Christopher Nelson new president as it expands services

St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage has brought on a new leader as it expands its services.

The new president, Christopher Nelson, 45, will oversee all areas of operations at the hospital, including efforts to expand services, improve quality of care and patient satisfaction and to increase employee engagement and education.

He previously worked as vice president of operations for NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island in Mineola, where his responsibilities included safety, quality, strategy, capital planning, financial performance and patient satisfaction.

Nelson “is an experienced health care leader who knows what it takes to deliver the highest level of care to Long Islanders,” Dennis Verzi, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Catholic Health, said in a statement.

Nelson joins St. Joseph as Catholic Health expands the hospital’s services by adding a new bariatric weight-loss surgery program, a chest pain unit and a cardiac catheterization lab, among other new programs. Further growth is in the planning stages, Nelson said.

The Rockville Centre-based health care system has made “tremendous investments in the campus already, and we're able to bring some additional services to the community,” Nelson said. “When I was able to see some of the work being done here and the expansion of clinical programs, I was extraordinarily excited to be a part of it all.”

Born at what is now Catholic Health’s Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, Nelson grew up in Babylon. He enlisted in the Navy at age 17 with his mother’s consent, trained with the Navy’s hospital corpsman school and served as a medic. He held Navy leadership positions and received awards including the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Catholic Health said.

Nelson went on to earn a bachelor of science in health care management from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and later an MBA from what was the Long Island University, C.W. Post campus. He and his wife live in West Bay Shore and have three children, ages 8, 20 and 23. The 23-year-old is a daughter who is a nurse, Nelson said.

Nelson said he always knew he wanted to work in health care, but in the Navy, he “shifted gears,” moving away from his initial plan to attend medical school when he found himself enjoying the challenges of the operations side of health care.

The current challenges include rising costs for supplies and employee compensation, he said.

“We have to continue to be innovative, you know, which really intrigues me. I love thinking of new ways and new delivery models that continue to enhance patient care and to do so within a reasonable cost structure,” he said. “Our mission is to make sure that we're taking care of the communities we serve.”

By Maura McDermott

maura.mcdermott@newsday.commauramcdermott

Maura McDermott covers health care and other business news on Long Island.