Hospital chaplain, a deacon of UOC, wins award from New York State's largest health care system, largest employer
SOUTH BOUND BROOK, N.J. – Deacon Adrian Mazur, a 2014 master’s of divinity graduate of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., won a Northwell Health President’s Award in the category of Exceptional Patient/Customer Experience.
The deacon is also a graduate of the North Shore Long Island Hospital Clinical Pastoral Education Program and is assigned to Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in New York as an assistant to the cathedral priest – his father – the Very Rev. Todor Mazur.
After completing his seminary education and the CPE program, he was immediately hired by Northwell Hospital, which is part of the Northwell Health medical system that today consists of 23 hospitals in the New York City and Long Island area. The system is the largest health care system, and the largest employer in the state of New York, with over 63,800 on staff.
Since 2007 Northwell has honored employees/team members of the system with President’s Awards. Such honorees are those “who truly represent the very best of Northwell Health. Each year these awards celebrate inspirational team members who surpass our expectations and standards of excellence and display compassion and innovation in everything they do.” The program honors team members in five categories: Physician of the Year, Nurse of the Year, Leader of the Year, Teamwork, and Exceptional Patient/Customer Experience.
Deacon Adrian is a key team member in the Department of Pastoral Care, serving as a chaplain in the Oncology Department at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. He was nominated for the Exceptional Patient/Customer Experience Award by his immediate supervisor, Amy Karriker, director of chaplaincy services at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.
A portion of her nomination reads: “Although we all hope for positive outcomes for all our patients, the reality is that not all will survive. In these most difficult times, Adrian’s ability to comfort and console becomes most important. In a letter, one parent said ‘Adrian became one of the most important people in the hospital.’”
The nomination continued: “Chaplain Adrian Mazur has chosen to work in the midst of medical crises, supporting the smallest patients and their families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as they cope with life-threatening illnesses. It is his empathy that others quickly notice as he helps fearful, weary and distressed parents who are trying to cope with some of the worst days of their lives.”
“Adrian, who came to the ministry from an earlier career in finance and volunteer work – especially with orphanages in Ukraine [under the auspices of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. – ed.], also works with adolescents in pediatric hermatology/oncology. There, he helps to establish a connection and genuine trust as the young patients face their own mortality, changes in their appearance and an overall loss of health and stamina.”
Deacon Adrian was one of five finalists in the Exceptional Patient/Customer Experience award category. A special selection committee comprising non-Northwell employed individual business and community leaders throughout the New York/Long Island area, reviews all nominations and makes award decisions.
The President’s Awards were announced at the annual meeting of the board of trustees of Northwell Health. Nearly 1,000 administrative and staff members of the system were present.
This was the first time in Northwell Health’s history that this award has been presented to a member of the Pastoral Care unit. An official banquet and program will be held in July to honor all the President’s Awards recipients along with their invited families and friends.
UOC-U.S.A.
