by Jennifer Marino
Bieber is also serving as chief operating officer and senior vice president of St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn.
The recent "Mercy Touch" newsletter highlighted some changes made at the hospital under Bieber. The staffing mix was increased to provide greater nursing staff to patient ratios. Nurses were encouraged to advance their education by an increase in the payroll educational differentials. Staff can attend Molloy College's nursing school for free because of a cooperative relationship between Mercy and the school. Another change has been an increased investment in operating room and procedure-oriented staff.
Mercy faced scrutiny in July after a 15-page report by the state Health Department accused Mercy of 16 violations in connection with the death of a patient last October. The allegations included improper nursing care, failure to supply prescribed medication and failure to check monitors or respond to alarms. Health Department spokesperson Rob Kenny said at the time that the Health Department was concerned about a systemic breakdown of the hospital's nursing care, including a lack of communication. He added that many changes have already been put in place.
