In honor of her commitment to improving the health of Long Islanders
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (December 16, 2024) – At its last quarterly meeting of 2024, the Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC) honored Linda Mermelstein, MD, MPH with its 2nd Annual Community Champion Award.
In 2023, the LIHC started its Community Champion Award program to annually honor one of its active individual members for their commitment to improving the health of Long Islanders in partnership with the LIHC. Janine Logan, VP of Communications and Population Health for the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council (NSHC) and director of the LIHC presented the 2024 award to Dr. Mermelstein at the December 5 meeting of the LIHC.
“We realize Collaborative participation is a time commitment and we absolutely recognize and appreciate the expertise that’s brought to this group,” said Logan. “This year, we’d like to recognize another individual who has gone above and beyond for the Collaborative, and that individual is Dr. Linda Mermelstein.”
Dr. Mermelstein— Associate Director of the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement at Stony Brook Cancer Center— has been a staunch supporter of the LIHC’s mission since its inception. Initial formation of the LIHC in the early 2010s was driven by New York State’s urge for hospitals and health departments to collaborate on their respective Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) and Community Health Assessments (CHAs). At that time, Dr. Mermelstein was Chief Deputy Commissioner for Suffolk County Department of Health Services and played a key role in representing Suffolk County DOH at this collaborative table.
As a physician who now works in the space of community outreach and engagement, Dr. Mermelstein’s expertise always bring an insightful perspective to the LIHC’s work. Presently, Dr. Mermelstein is an active participant in the LIHC’s Core Cluster work groups. She has also led Walk with a Doc events hosted by the LIHC, where she provides health education to attendees about a variety of topics such as cancer and chronic disease prevention and the power of lifestyle when it comes to health.
“Thank you for the recognition,” said Dr. Mermelstein. “It’s just been a phenomenal experience working with everyone over the years. I’ve learned so much and everyone has just shown an amazing care about the community, and it just makes me want to work more and do more.”
To learn more about the LIHC programming such as Walk with a Doc and the Community Champion Award, visit www.lihealthcollab.org.