Northwell Appoints Chief Quality Officer

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Northwell Health today announced the appointment of Peter Silver, MD, MBA, as senior vice president and chief quality officer. Dr. Silver spent the last 35 years in the health system as part of the Department of Pediatrics, serving most recently as medical director of Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

Dr. Silver was part of a leadership team that helped Cohen Children’s achieve its status as the top children’s hospital in New York State and directed Northwell’s pediatric response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). After beginning his medical career as a resident at Cohen Children’s, Dr. Silver eventually rose to serve as the hospital’s medical director beginning in 2016. He succeeds Mark Jarrett, MD, who will remain at Northwell as a consultant and senior health advisor after a distinguished 39-year career in the health system.

“Northwell will look to Dr. Silver to roll out strategies to improve quality and patient safety, ensuring that the health system continually raises the bar on safety standards and clinical processes while placing patient well-being first,” said Jill Kalman, MD, senior vice president, chief medical officer and deputy physician-in-chief at Northwell. “He will play a lead role in guiding Northwell’s response to current and future public health crises while serving as an integral member of the system’s clinical advisory group.”

Dr. Silver received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, his medical degree from Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine, and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the Hofstra University’s Zarb School of Business. He is a fellow in the American College of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, and American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Silver led a recent quality initiative sponsored by the Joint Commission’s Center for Transforming Healthcare. He also spearheaded several Children’s Hospital Association collaboratives focused on the early recognition and treatment of sepsis and the elimination of central line associated bloodstream infection, earning him a Northwell President's Award. In 2019, he was awarded the Excellence in Healthcare Award for Quality Improvement by the United Hospital Fund.

In his new role, Dr. Silver will work closely with Karen Nelson, RN, senior vice president and deputy chief quality officer, Donna Armellino, RN, DNP, senior vice president of infection control, and Bruce Farber, MD, chief of infectious diseases.

Dr. Jarrett spent four decades serving the region, first at Staten Island University Hospital, and for the last decade, as Northwell’s chief quality officer. He proved to be a visible and vital member of New York’s medical community through his longstanding role as a go-to clinical spokesperson.

“Dr. Jarrett has demonstrated exemplary leadership in strengthening patient safety while implementing strategies aligned with the national health care agenda,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health. “Dr. Jarrett’s invaluable insight and expertise helped prepare and guide our clinical responses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Zika scare in 2015 and 2016, our ongoing flu prevention program and a multitude of other public health crises and quality and safety initiatives. I want to extend my deep gratitude to Dr. Jarrett for his unwavering commitment and dedication.”

About Northwell Health

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 22 hospitals, 830 outpatient facilities and more than 16,600 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 77,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 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.