Northwell Health

Anniece Woods

Anniece Woods currently holds the position of the Director of pediatric cardiac patient services at Northwell Health. She has served as a nurse for the past three decades. Over this period, Anniece had the opportunity to work with patients having congenital heart disease. This extensive experience enables her to always find the right direction for effective patient care.

What are some of the major challenges and trends that have been impacting the Long Term Care space lately?

One of the things that can tend to be a little bit problematic, especially for pediatric patients, is the inability of insurance carriers to offer long-term care and assistance. It requires a lot more effort and input from a provider or the staff to get those things in place. Families cannot also always find a wealth of resources because most of them are adult-driven. I believe that addressing the emotional needs of parents and families is the biggest challenge.

We frequently have patients who are born with a congenital cardiac disease requiring urgent surgery. This can be a very stressful emotional time for families. Due to a lack of resources, they cannot rightly fathom the gravity of the situation. It’s important to work closely with physicians, nurses, and pediatricians to ensure that the parents do not get so overwhelmed that they stop attending.

"Physicians and nursing staff can remotely monitor patients, and the patients’ families can also electronically transmit all the information to the providers"

What are the components of a successful patient care process, and how can they be leveraged to ensure success with any patient care?

The technological advancement for pediatric patients is growing by leaps and bounds. Physicians and nursing staff can remotely monitor patients, and the patients’ families can also electronically transmit all the information to the providers. And it provides parents with a sense of security. Although they may not see their doctor on a daily basis, they do have a means of connecting with them other than physically visiting the office or speaking on the phone.

In response to covid, what, according to you, are the finest remedies or the best steps that can be performed to provide appropriate care to patients?

Following the guidelines of the CDC as well as the Department of Health, we have limited the number of people who can come with a patient. However, for better patient engagement, we adopted technologies like FaceTime or other similar services—allowing parents to interact with their children.

How do you really lead your team forward when it comes to providing the necessary care to patients?

My leadership strategy has always been based on working as a team. We cannot perform our jobs swiftly and effectively if one of the members isn’t doing his/her part. More importantly, each of us brings a unique set of abilities to the table in order to deliver outstanding patient care. A single person cannot be held accountable for the exceptional care provided to patients.

What do you think the longterm care industry will look like in the future?

I see long-term care for pediatric and adult patients continuing to evolve—particularly for patients with congenital heart disease— as technology is constantly evolving and extending the life expectancy of patients. As patients age and additional obstacles arise, we must remain focused on ensuring that they receive the best care possible at all times, without losing sight of what they require at any given time.

What would be your piece of advice to your peers?

It’s essential to remember that each patient is unique and must be handled accordingly. Furthermore, while providing care for ambulatory care or a patient at home, there are several variables to consider. It’s critical to identify them and know how to deal with them. Patients should be the center of care for any healthcare provider.