HAUPPAUGE — Joan Cusack-McGuirk, president/CEO of Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall, and New Windsor resident, was named chair of the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association (NorMet). Her two-year term expires July 2022. NorMet represents hospitals in seven counties in the Hudson Valley. It advocates for reasonable and rationale healthcare regulation and legislation. NorMet is a division of the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State (SHANYS), which oversees lobbying activities for NorMet and its sister organization on Long Island.
Cusack-McGuirk began her career more than 40 years ago as a nurse, eventually rising to senior vice president and chief nursing officer before being appointed to her current position. Under her leadership, the hospital has earned numerous awards and accreditations, including Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence. Additionally, under Cusack-McGuirk’s leadership, MSLC is certified as a Great Place to Work for four consecutive years and has been named in the top five percent of hospitals in the nation for clinical excellence according to a national report by Healthgrades. The hospital is among Fortune’s top 25 Best Workplaces in Healthcare for 2020. MSLC is also a verified level III Trauma Center, with significant accolades from the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association, including the Get with the Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for the 11th consecutive year and Mission Lifeline Gold Award.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business Fellows Program, she holds a master’s degree from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from SUNY New Paltz. She is an active member of regional and state healthcare policy associations, and locally, she serves the Orange County Chamber, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, and Rotary Club of Greater Newburgh, among others.