Keating, Joyce and Lanzetta honored at the 87th annual Mercy Ball

More than 400 people gathered at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on Saturday, Dec. 2, for the Friends of Mercy Hospital’s 87th annual Mercy Ball.

Each year, three honorees are selected by the Friends of Mercy Hospital based on their ongoing commitment to improve and advance the level of care provided by Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital.

In recognition of his years of dedication, support and community service, the Friends of Mercy Hospital presented this year’s Bishop John R. McGann Lifetime Achievement Award to Francis A. Keating, III, of Rockville Centre.

“It was a great experience,” Keating said. “Mercy has been a major part of our lives for years.”

Keating has been involved with Mercy Hospital since 1984, when his wife, Kristine, joined the Nursing Department while she was a student at Molloy College, and together they began attending all of the Friends of Mercy events in 1994.

Five years later, in 1997, he was appointed to the Board of Sponsors and in 1999 was elected to serve as its secretary. He was later elected to the Mercy Hospital Board of Trustees, which he served from June 2000 through September 2006.

He later went on to serve a one-year term as the President of the Friends of Mercy organization, during which time, he was instrumental in being the first president in history to accept female honor guard nominations to the Mercy Ball.

“When Mike Boranian, the president of the Friends of Mercy, called me and said I was selected to be the Bishop McGann Lifetime Achievement Award recipient this year, I was ecstatic,” Keating said. “To get (the award) the year after the Mayor, with all that he has done, it was easy to floor me.”

In addition to his work with the Friends of Mercy, Keating has been involved in a wide range of community activities and events with the Chaminade High School Alumni Association, the St. Agnes Elementary School Father’s Club and the Rockville Centre Little League.

This year, the Friends of Mercy Hospital also honored John J. Joyce of Rockville Centre, who was presented with the Theodore Roosevelt Award for Outstanding Public Service for his unwavering dedication and tireless effort with the Friends of Mercy, and Joseph Lanzetta of Malverne, who was presented with the Sister Mary Nadine Casey CIJ Award for honoring the values of the hospital and its founders.

Throughout his years of service, Joyce has taken on many challenges while maintaining pivotal roles at critical times for the hospital, including two years as president of the Friends of Mercy.

His impact on the organization, however, goes far beyond his service in leadership roles. He helped spearhead the effort to grant the Friends of Mercy tax-exempt status as a nonprofit and facilitated the creation of a Strategic Planning framework for community outreach on behalf of the hospital.

Joseph Lanzetta came to Mercy Hospital 14 years ago, after a storied 40-year career in the telecommunications industry. He began as the manager of Human Resources and now serves as the hospital’s director of Planning.

His recognition as the recipient of the Sister Nadine Casey award is well deserved, not only for his individual contributions to the hospital, but for the positive impact he has on the collective effort of the hospital staff. His focus on teamwork, support and knowledge sharing sets a commendable example for fostering a collaborative and thriving work atmosphere.

Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital was founded in 1913 by the Nursing Sisters of the Congregation of the Infant Jesus, and has remained devoted to the charitable care of the underserved throughout the surrounding communities.

Over the last 87 years, the Friends of Mercy organization has proudly supported their mission to deliver passionate medical care in an ever-changing climate. In recent years, the organization’s efforts have helped with upgrades in the Neonatal ICU, construction of a new Pain Management Center, a new Pre-Surgical Testing Facility, and more.

Proceeds raised this year will help support the planned renovation of Mercy Hospital’s main cafeteria, located on the lower level, which includes the creation of an innovative and collaborative health and well-being space. The area will also include new furnishings and décor, supported with appropriate technology and will be designed to enhance team member experience.