Photo courtesy Northwell Health
As the coronavirus pandemic tested the viability of New York’s health care system, Gov. Andrew Cuomo turned again and again to Michael Dowling. The governor has worked closely with the leader of Northwell Health, New York’s biggest employer, relying on him as his chief intermediary with New York’s hospitals, naming his longtime ally to a panel to “reimagine” New York in the wake of COVID-19 and even making a Northwell nurse the first American to receive a coronavirus vaccine.
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Cuomo’s COVID-19 Task Force
Gov. Andrew Cuomo wasn’t the only state government official to build his celebrity thanks to his daily COVID-19 briefings that captivated the nation. Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa was at his side – socially distanced of course – along the way, while also heading up a coronavirus maternity task force. Also along for the ride were another former Cuomo secretary, Larry Schwartz, who resumed his role as behind-the-scene