Glatt’s personal style of taking care of patients includes giving tours of the hospital to surgical patients who have never been at Mercy to make them more comfortable, Freeman said.

In addition to tours, Glatt has helped raise the comfort level of Orthodox Jewish patients and their families by collaborating with the Lawrence and Far Rockaway Achiezer, Michael Nuzzi, Mercy’s director of Facilities Management, the Silber family to create a kosher kitchen that meets their dietary needs. It is stocked with food provided by Gourmet Glatt Emporium in Cedarhurst. “I just can’t believe that a Shabbos away from home should be so memorable to me …” an unidentified former patient wrote in a thank you note to Achiezer.

There is also an Orthodox chapel stocked with prayer books and Glatt conducts services.. “Part of our mission is spiritual care as well as physical, which plays a part in our holistic approach,” Glatt said, who noted that though there are no hard numbers anecdotal evidence suggests that there has been an upswing of Orthodox Jews from the Five Towns coming to Mercy for treatment.

By sending a doctor immediately to an ambulance bringing in an emergency patient, assessing the person and moving those sick enough to a bed, ambulance turn around time has been cut up to 90 minutes, according to Glatt. “I am in awe of what Hatzalah does and all the volunteer EMTs,” he said. “We recognize that good deed wanted to trim the time they are here.” Hatzalah of the Rockaways and Nassau County accommodates Orthodox Jews. There is also an attending pediatrician on call 24 hours.

Dealing with a changing health care landscape where costs and regulations have increased, insurance reimbursements are down and there is competition from a growing number of smaller medical care facilities, Glatt said he looks to enhance Mercy’s services. “We want to make this a hospital of choice for patients and continue to grow and expand,” he said.