Healthcare Heroes at Stony Brook Medicine: Pia York and John Marco Manzella

“As Concierge Supervisors, we are very fortunate to work with an amazing team of people. The Concierge staff bring lots of different skills to the table and are collaborative, supportive, flexible and exemplify teamwork. As Concierge staff, our goal as part of the Patient Experience team is to assist individuals with their needs. We are the first touch when people enter the facility, and we want to make sure we leave them with an overall therapeutic experience.

Our front desks are titled, “Information Desk,” but we are so much more than that. Whether we are walking someone to an elevator, assisting with a wheelchair, or helping them to find their way, we want to leave people with an overall good feeling. We are active listeners, liaisons, de-escalators, facilitators, communicators, problem solvers and advocates. We understand people are not always here under the best of circumstances, and we empathize. Each and every one of us as human beings have, at some point, experienced some form of illness, loss or suffering. We keep this at the forefront of our minds and treat people the way we would want to be treated in their situation.

Though we are not clinical, we strive to provide a compassionate and caring approach. We hope to be remembered for being helpful and making someone’s hospital visit a positive experience. We always aim to make a difference and to be the difference."

Pia York and John Marco Manzella, Concierge Supervisors at Stony Brook University Hospital