Dr. Elisa E. Burns of Bedford Lauded at Northern Westchester Hospital Gala

The following announcement is from Northern Westchester Hospital:

Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) raised $1.2 million at its annual gala on Saturday, November 1st, surpassing its fundraising goal of $1 million. The gala, held at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY, welcomed more than 700 doctors, community leaders, business owners, NWH Foundation board members and trustees. All funds raised will support the modernization of operating rooms at NWH, as well as the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, anticipated to be completed in early 2016.

This year’s physician honoree was Dr. Elisa E. Burns, a gynecologic surgeon and Director of Quality and Outcomes for the Institute for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery at NWH. Dr. Burns of Bedford, NY, was honored for her clinical leadership, generosity to NWH, her dedication to patients and the practice of medicine. The community honoree was Gino Martocci, Executive Vice President for M&T Bank, who was honored for his dedicated support of NWH. Mr. Martocci, of Armonk, NY, joined the finance committee of NWH’s Board of Trustees earlier this year, and he helped raise more than $280,000 for this year’s annual gala.

Highlights of the evening included an announcement by Robert Spolzino, Chairman of Northern Westchester Hospital’s Board of Trustees, who informed the guests that the Northern Westchester Hospital Board of Trustees and the Board of North Shore-LIJ have approved of NWH joining the North Shore-LIJ Health System. Northern Westchester Hospital and its leadership team will have an important role in developing expansion plans for the North Shore-LIJ Health System in the greater Hudson Valley. Another highlight was the successful “text to pledge” portion of the event, an onsite fundraising tool, which helped raise more than $100,000 for the hospital.

“Northern Westchester Hospital plays an essential role in caring for the health and wellbeing of the people in our community. On Saturday night, the community came out in force to support their hospital. We are so fortunate to have community leaders like our gala co-chairs Daun and Peter Hauspurg and Caryn and David Schechtman, who consistently step up to the plate to ensure that their hospital has the resources it needs to deliver excellent healthcare,” said Keeva Young Wright, President of the Northern Westchester Hospital Foundation. “We are eternally grateful to Ellen and Kamran Hakim, who were such gracious hosts, generously donating the use of Old Salem Farm, an exquisite venue for what turned out to be the best party of the year.”

The theme of the event was “Autumn in Arcadia.” This year’s venue allowed the gala committee to create a theme centered on nature, horses and the outdoors, as well as being one of the few venues in the area that could accommodate the number of guests in attendance. The evening’s farm-to-table fare was impeccably executed by the renowned Abigail Kirsch, sourcing as much as possible from the Hudson Valley region. The menu embodied the theme of the evening and perfectly reflected the Hospital’s philosophy of ‘food is care.’

About Northern Westchester Hospital

Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) provides high-quality, surgically-sophisticated, patient-centered care in Westchester County through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. More than 700 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment.

NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA). Our New York surgeons uphold highest quality standards, helping to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in Westchester County and the nation. For a complete list of our services, please visit www.nwhc.net and connect with us on Facebook.

For a complete list of our services at Northern Westchester Hospital, please visit www.nwhc.net.

Photo: NWH Gala Honorees, Gino Martocci, Community Honoree, Executive Vice President of M&T Bank and Dr. Elisa E. Burns, Physician Honoree, Director of Quality & Outcomes, Institute for Robotic & Minimally Invasive Surgery, NWH. Photo credit: Contributed