Celebrating exceptional volunteers at Mount Sinai South Nassau

Mount Sinai South Nassau honored several local residents, including residents from Oceanside, Baldwin and Rockville Centre for their extraordinary contributions as volunteers to the hospital, during its 68th anniversary luncheon at the Coral House in Baldwin on April 25.

The celebration was a tribute to the unwavering dedication and compassion the hospital’s volunteers, past and present, have exhibited.

“We think it’s important to recognize all of the time and energy our volunteers provide for our patients in our community,” Dr. Adhi Sharma, the hospital’s president, said. “I think we can never take it for granted that these people are giving their time freely and fully. Many of them have been here for years and years. They are part of the South Nassau fabric and part of the South Nassau family. You recognize family, and that’s what families do.”

The luncheon served as a testament to the enduring spirit of volunteerism that has permeated the hospital for nearly seven decades. Volunteers from various communities, including Oceanside, Baldwin, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre Malverne, Lynbrook and Freeport, have collectively contributed to the hospital’s legacy of care and compassion.

Among the honorees was 76-year-old Oceanside resident Alberta Biscotti, who has embodied the spirit of lifelong learning and nurturing, earning the Shining Star Award, which recognizes volunteers who have enhanced the patient experience. Nassau County Legislator Debra Mule also presented a citation to a Biscotti, for her volunteerism at Mount Sinai South Nassau.

Biscotti worked in human resources for her husband’s accounting firm for 30 years and then as a teacher at California Avenue School in Uniondale for 11 years. After retiring at 65, she said she wanted to give back to the community as a hospital volunteer, finding a home in the director’s office.

“I was also honestly afraid of being home after working the way I did raising children,” Biscotti, who also lived in Rockville Centre for 45 years, said. “I went up to the hospital, and the director at the time said to me, ‘I want you to work directly for me.’”

Biscotti has logged 907 hours volunteering at the hospital and has volunteered for 11 years. Her journey from teaching to volunteering in the medical field reflects her nurturing nature and desire to help others. Biscotti even worked remotely as a volunteer during the Covid pandemic, assisting with tasks such as pre-surgical testing and helping patients find information about vaccinations.

“When I speak to patients, a lot of them don’t have families,” Biscotti said. “They didn’t know where to go to get their vaccines during Covid-19. They have a pre-surgical test for very serious surgery and just helping them to give them information about where to park or where to do it really gives you a lot of pleasure. They thank you. Some of them call me ‘Doc.’ I’m not a doctor, just volunteering and I like helping.”

During the April 25 luncheon, 68-year-old Baldwin resident Robert Granoff received the 5 Star Award, given in memory of former volunteer Adelaide Cromwell, recognizing extraordinary dedication and service. Granoff, a 24 year Baldwin resident, started volunteering at the hospital in 2017 and has dedicated more than 2,010 hours to volunteering. Granoff decided to embark on a journey of volunteer service following his retirement from the fish and seafood industry.

He first began volunteering at Soup To Nuts Soup Kitchen in Freeport, where he has served for 12 years, and volunteered for five years of service at Operation SPLASH, a volunteer non-profit organization that provides a solution to waterfront pollution. Where he remove plastic bags and other pollutants in the waters and marshland on the south shore.

Granoff then became involved with Mount Sinai South Nassau, where he has volunteered for seven years. He is most proud about the connections he has forged with people and the joy he has brought to their lives.

“Just meeting the people and helping them out as much as you can and goofing around with them,” Granoff said. “I always help out all the junior volunteers, they’re fun to work with, and I don’t treat them like if they were with their parents. I just have fun with them.”

Rockville Centre resident Susan Keller, 68, also was recognized at the event for surpassing an astounding 30,000 hours of volunteer service to the hospital. Keller’s unwavering commitment to the hospital’s compassionate listener program and her presence in various departments, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, exemplify the essence of volunteerism. From reading to newborns to providing companionship to patients, Keller’s compassion knows no bounds. Keller started volunteering at Mount Sinai in 1998 when she wanted to contribute to her community while her daughter attended school nearby.

Despite initially pursuing a career in counseling for the deaf after receiving a Masters degree in deafness rehabilitation after Keller started a family she never got around to pursuing the career. Keller however, found fulfillment in her volunteer work, where she connected with patients and staff on a profound level.

“I think both involve helping, right, but also connecting with people,” Keller said. “That’s a really big part of what I do. Whether it’s reading to babies in the NICU, you have to form some sort of connection with the baby. Taking the dogs around and seeing the connection the patient develops with that dog, and how it brings them out and makes them happy, being a part of that is indescribable. When I visit patients, it’s amazing.”

Keller said she finds joy in various aspects of her volunteer work, particularly interacting with patients and staff.

“I’m not being paid in dollar bills or a check, but when I’m wearing my volunteer jacket, the wealth is in the patients and my memories with them,” she said. “There are certain people I will never forget who have touched me so. I’m a very wealthy person. I really mean that.”