Northwell Health names Launette Woolforde chief nursing officer | Long Island Business News

Northwell Health has named Launette Woolforde as executive vice president and chief nursing officer (CNO), placing the veteran nurse leader in charge of more than 22,000 nurses across the health system. Woolforde brings 32 years of experience of nursing practice, education and research, including the past 20 years at Northwell.

Woolforde succeeds Maureen White, who is retiring after nearly 50 years at Northwell. Since 2023, Woolforde has served as deputy CNO, collaborating with White and senior leaders while overseeing the system’s 28 hospitals and 1,000 outpatient facilities.

Woolforde “has been an exceptional and respected leader at Northwell for many years, bringing deep institutional knowledge and a thoughtful, forward-looking perspective to her new role as chief nursing officer,” Dr. John D’Angelo, Northwell’s president and CEO, said in a news release about the succession plan.

“As part of my new leadership team, I am proud to have selected Dr. Woolforde to lead our nursing enterprise into its next chapter,” D’Angelo said. “Maureen White is a true nursing legend, and we are deeply grateful for her decades of inspired service. I’m confident Dr. Woolforde will build on that legacy and elevate an already outstanding nursing program to even greater heights.”

Woolforde is vice dean at the Hofstra School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies and an assistant professor at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She previously served as CNO for Northwell’s Manhattan hospitals and as system vice president for nursing.

“Northwell’s next chapter is going to be extraordinary,” Woolforde said in the news release. ”Stepping into this role is both a privilege and a responsibility that I embrace deeply. I’m energized about collaborating with Dr. John D’Angelo and this exceptional leadership team, and I am committed to our nursing team and the excellent care we provide. Together we will improve health care for millions, leading with purpose, compassion innovation.”

Woolforde is credited with helping to build the infrastructure behind major achievements for the Northwell system, including the launch of its air medical transport program in 2014 and the development of the nurse residency program in 2019, accredited with distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Woolforde earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Pace University, a master of science in nursing from Hunter College, a post-master’s certificate from The College of New Rochelle, a doctor of nursing practice from Case Western Reserve University and a doctor of education from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Woolforde has received multiple honors for her contributions to nursing, education and health care, including the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s National Certified Nurse of the Year, induction into the Teachers College, Columbia University Alumni Hall of Fame, and the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society International Founders Award. She holds dual board certifications and is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the New York Academy of Medicine and the Health Management Academy.