JetBlue and Northwell Direct Partner to Provide Long-Term Health Solutions to COVID-19

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Northwell Direct and JetBlue, New York’s Hometown Airline, (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced that they are partnering to provide the airline with a comprehensive set of COVID-19 services and programs to support its crewmembers (employees) across JetBlue’s operation and add a clinical layer to the airline’s Safety From the Ground Up program.

The customized set of solutions from Northwell Direct – a Northwell Health company that provides a broad range of health care solutions to employers in the tri-state area – will support JetBlue as it considers testing approaches for its teams in New York City, clinical concierge services for crewmembers, and consulting and advisory services for JetBlue’s leadership. The program, which is expected to evolve and expand based on needs, is designed to detect and prevent COVID-19 and to aid in the recovery of the airline industry.

The suite of services and the ongoing evolution of the program will collaboratively be designed by clinical experts at Northwell Health, which has treated over 93,000 patients with COVID-19, and JetBlue’s leadership, and are based on science and the latest medical knowledge around COVID-19 and the specific needs of the company’s crewmembers. Tests conducted as part of any JetBlue programs will be processed by Northwell Health Labs, which has invested more than $30 million in COVID-19 testing equipment and supplies since the start of the pandemic – more than any other hospital-based lab in the country.

In addition, the program allows JetBlue to offer tri-state crewmembers 24/7 access to expert guidance and assistance with questions or concerns about the virus. These clinical concierge services provided by Northwell Health Solutions, Northwell’s care management arm, if appropriate, will also be able to provide fast and seamless navigation to care. These crewmembers will also have access to Northwell Health’s COVID Ambulatory Resource Support (CARES) program, which offers hospital-level care in the safety and comfort of home.

“JetBlue’s leaders reached out to Northwell Direct because they believe, as we do, that the path to recovery is built on a foundation of health and safety,” said Nick Stefanizzi, CEO of Northwell Direct. “We’re proud to partner with them in supporting their crewmembers and in working to restore this vital sector of the economy.”

The arrangement also provides JetBlue leadership with consulting and advisory services from Northwell Health clinical leaders to ensure corporate strategies are evidence-based and to take advantage of the latest advances in the fight against the new coronavirus. The multi-layered set of protective strategies complement JetBlue’s extensive Safety from the Ground Up program, which, along with maintaining healthy crewmembers, focuses on travel flexibility, clean air and surfaces, and more space with fewer touchpoints.

“Keeping our crewmembers healthy is an important pillar of our Safety from the Ground Up program. By partnering with a healthcare leader like Northwell, we are leveraging their experience to provide our crewmembers with confidence that they are healthy,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “Our crewmembers are doing an exceptional job in these challenging times, and are executing our Safety from the Ground Up program every day to make sure the JetBlue experience is as safe as it can be.”

“As customers consider Thanksgiving travel, especially those who may be returning from extended periods away, we encourage all customers to protect themselves and their loved ones by getting a coronavirus test,” Geraghty added.

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. For more information, visit jetblue.com.

About Northwell Health

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, nearly 800 outpatient facilities and more than 14,200 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 74,000 employees – 18,500 nurses and 4,500 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.