$10 million gift from Lisa and Mark Schwartz to advance critical trauma services at hospital
Northwell Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) is excited to announce that it has received a transformative $10 million donation from philanthropists and longtime supporters Lisa and Mark Schwartz.
This landmark contribution — the largest single gift in the hospital’s history — will support NWH’s programmatic efforts to advance critical services for the Westchester community and beyond.
This includes achieving a Level III-N trauma designation, which, in addition to standard trauma care, provides specialized treatment for patients with traumatic brain injuries; expanding neurology and epilepsy services; and enhancing neurovascular and stroke care.
The generous donation drives meaningful progress in advanced emergency and neurological care in northern Westchester. Currently, access to these urgent services in the region is limited, often requiring patients experiencing severe trauma, strokes or seizures to seek care outside the area.
The funding will enhance NWH’s capabilities through infrastructure upgrades, specialized staffing and program development, ensuring critically ill and injured patients receive more timely, comprehensive care.
“At Northwell Health, our mission is to meet the evolving medical needs of the communities we serve,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health. “Thanks to Lisa and Mark Schwartz, Northern Westchester Hospital will further elevate its trauma and neurological services, transforming the region’s health care landscape and ensuring patients receive exceptional, lifesaving care when and where they need it most.”
The Schwartzes have been dedicated supporters of NWH for over two decades. They have funded the advancement of key priorities including a professional development endowment for nurses, enhancements to surgical services and, most recently, the establishment of a pediatric behavioral health program.
“For us, excellent health care is an essential pillar of a thriving community. We are privileged to be able to accelerate the hospital’s advancement in trauma care services, where immediate, timely responses are crucial to lifesaving outcomes,” said Lisa Schwartz. “This effort will require additional philanthropic support, and we hope others will join us to ensure the successful implementation of this transformative initiative.”
Mark Schwartz added, “Northern Westchester Hospital has always provided world-class health care to every patient, outperforming most community hospitals in the country. We are thrilled to help the hospital take these next strategic steps in developing neurovascular care.”
NWH has received national recognition for its outstanding patient care and outcomes. It is the only hospital in Westchester County to be named among America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades and was ranked #2 in critical care, #5 in neurosciences and #5 in stroke care in New York State.
NWH also received Healthgrades’ America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention Award™, placing it among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for cardiac procedures.
The hospital has been recognized as High Performing in neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report and earned a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a distinction awarded to only 17% of hospitals nationwide.
Additionally, NWH received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for following research-based guidelines to improve survival and recovery.
“This remarkable gift will strengthen our ability to care for our patients during their most vulnerable moments,” said Derek Anderson, president of NWH. “Whether it’s a person with a severe injury or someone experiencing a stroke, we will be even more prepared to provide prompt, expert treatment right here, when every second matters. Lisa and Mark Schwartz’s generosity is not just an investment in our hospital and community — it’s an investment in saving lives.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Lisa and Mark Schwartz for their impactful gift, which will directly enhance our ability to provide state-of-the-art neurological care,” said Souhel Najjar, MD, SVP of neurology services at Northwell Health. “This generous contribution will allow us to expand our neurology and epilepsy services, ultimately improving outcomes for patients with complex neurological conditions.”
Added Daniel Sciubba, MD, MBA, chair and SVP of the neurosurgery service line at Northwell, and chair and Lucille and Milton Cohn Professor of Neurosurgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell: “Lisa and Mark Schwartz’s commitment will have a lasting impact on our ability to elevate neurosurgical care at Northern Westchester Hospital. This funding will advance our stroke and neurovascular programs and enable us to develop innovative approaches to trauma care, particularly for patients with traumatic brain injuries.”
With this significant investment from the Schwartzes, NWH is poised to expand lifesaving care, ensuring that patients and families across the region have access to the highest level of expertise and treatment in their community.