24 Oct Megan Slowey, MD: A 2025 Unsung Hero
Dr. Megan Slowey has been an invaluable asset to Peconic Bay Medical Center, spearheading our age-friendly initiative with remarkable vision. Her dedicated work significantly enhanced the Emergency Department’s care for older adults, particularly by tackling the negative outcomes of prolonged ED stays.
Through her project, Dr. Slowey developed and implemented an innovative scoring tool to prioritize bed assignments for elderly patients. This led to quantifiable improvements: a marked decrease in NPO status, reduced unnecessary Foley catheter placements, and a dramatic decrease in boarding times, thereby reducing the risk of falls and delirium.
Her success has garnered full institutional acceptance, demonstrating tangible improvements in patient throughput. Beyond her technical acumen, Dr. Slowey is an exceptional team player, fostering critical trust and collaboration between the ED and inpatient teams even before her project’s launch. Her thoughtful, adaptable approach was crucial to its triumph.
Dr. Slowey truly deserves this award for her leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, and transformative impact on patient care.
What truly distinguishes Dr. Megan Slowey’s contribution is her remarkable ability to identify a pivotal opportunity and translate it into tangible action. She keenly observed the potential to significantly improve care and outcomes for older adults, subsequently galvanizing an interdisciplinary team to develop and implement a robust plan. Her meticulous pre-planning involved attentive listening to ensure the action plan was not only optimal for patients but also seamlessly integrated with existing hospital infrastructure and practical for staff implementation. This comprehensive and foresightful approach is rare. Moreover, Dr. Slowey’s commitment never wavered with initial success; she relentlessly pursued continuous refinements, guaranteeing the project’s sustainability and perpetual improvement.
Recipient Bio:
Since starting my Northwell Health residency in 2015, I’ve built a dedicated career as an Emergency Medicine physician, committed to clinical excellence, education, and system improvement. As Chief Resident, I honed leadership skills contributing to residency selection and the complex development of the combined NS-LIJ EM program.
As an Attending, I’ve consistently identified needs and implemented innovative solutions. Notably, I created the pediatric airway box, significantly enhancing patient safety, and advanced care through my role on the Complex Care Committee. My academic contributions include serving as Assistant Professor at Zucker School of Medicine and Resident Clerkship Director at PBMC, where I’m deeply engaged in training the next generation of Emergency Physicians.
I am passionate about physician well-being, serving as a wellness liaison to reduce burnout, and was honored as SSUH Physician of the Year in 2022. At PBMC, I continue to drive pivotal process improvement, from establishing a pediatric-specific Emergency Department to leading Palliative Care and Geriatrics initiatives. As the department’s Geriatric Physician Champion, I spearhead the impactful Goals of Care ED Initiative to enhance patient outcomes and effectively reduce hospital length of stay for older adults.
Across all roles, my focus remains clear: delivering exceptional patient care, elevating the patient experience, and fostering a sustainable, supportive environment for clinicians.
– Ninfa Mehta, MD MPH