Michael J. Dowling

Biography

As the health system’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Dowling oversees a healthcare network which delivers world-class clinical care throughout the New York metropolitan area, pioneering research at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and a visionary approach to medical education, highlighted by the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. The recipient of the National Quality Forum’s 2010 National Quality Healthcare Award, North Shore-LIJ is the largest integrated healthcare system in New York State with total revenue of more than $6 billion. With 15 hospitals and more than 200 ambulatory care centers throughout the region, North Shore-LIJ is the nation’s second-largest, non-profit secular health system with more than 5,600 beds and a total workforce of more than 43,000 employees.

Prior to becoming president and CEO in 2002, Mr. Dowling was the health system’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Before joining North Shore-LIJ in 1995, he was a senior vice president at Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Mr. Dowling served in New York State government for 12 years, including seven years as state director of Health, Education and Human Services and deputy secretary to the governor. He was also commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services.

Before his public service career, Mr. Dowling was a professor of social policy and assistant dean at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services, and director of the Fordham campus in Westchester County.

Mr. Dowling has been honored with many awards over the years. They include: the 2011 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award from the National Center for Healthcare Leadership, the 2011 CEO Information Technology Award from Modern Healthcare magazine and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the National Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Public Service Award from the State University of New York’s Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, an Outstanding Public Service Award from the Mental Health Association of New York State, an Outstanding Public Service Award from the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, the Alfred E. Smith Award from the American Society for Public Administration, and the Gold Medal from the American Irish Historical Society.

Mr. Dowling is chairman of the North American Board of the Smurfit School of Business at University College, Dublin, Ireland. He also serves as a board member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and board member and Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. He is also past chairman and current board member of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) and the League of Voluntary Hospitals of New York.

Mr. Dowling grew up in Limerick, Ireland. He earned his undergraduate degree from University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, and his master’s degree from Fordham University. He also has honorary doctorates from Hofstra University and Dowling College.