North Shore-LIJ drops ‘Jewish’ from name

The North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Sys- tem announced on Monday that it will be known as Northwell Health beginning in January.

Chief Executive Michael Dowling said the name change reflects the expansion of the health system, which now includes 21 hospitals on Long Island, New York City and Westchester.

The current name was formed during the 1997 merger between Long Island Jewish Medical Center and the North Shore Health System.

Board Chairman Mark Claster says trustees recognized the need for a new name that wasn’t limiting geographically.

Dowling says Northwell Health has a workforce of more than 61,000 employees — including 13,300 nurses, with about 10,300 physician affiliations — making it the largest private employer in the state. The hospitals and long-term care facilities — which include North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, and Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, among others — have over 6,600 beds.

Dowling says the health system’s marketing and branding campaign will cost “tens of millions” of dollars over the next several years.