Eastern Long Island Hospital is pleased to announce the selection of Karleen M. Schultz, RN for the Long Island Business News 2010 Health Care Heroes award in nursing.   With a nursing career that spans over 34 years, Karleen has demonstrated leadership qualities in all areas of nursing care and management.  Her expertise and skill have been invaluable to the psychiatry unit at ELIH, most recently in the upgrading and implementation of a new computer system to manage vital patient care information and advance patient safety.  

With a commitment to caring for patients with behavioral health disorders, Karleen has helped patients face the many challenges and stigmas associated with mental illness. Focused on quality care, she is directly involved with protocols, assessments and monitoring to most aptly prepare each patient for discharge.  

“The most satisfying aspect of my work is to know that at the end of the day, I have made a difference in the lives of my patients,” states Karleen.   “Providing the best care possible with the help of my coworkers, the behavioral health treatment team and ELIH physicians provides me with a great deal of job satisfaction,” she adds.

Karleen was honored at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury with fellow award recipients by Long Island Business News.   Long Island Business News created the Health Care Hero Awards five years ago to recognize heath care individuals and their organizations who truly exemplify the spirit of the word “Hero” and whose goal it is to promote innovation while contributing to the enhancement of quality of health care to ensure the well-being of Long Island residents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.