Michael Dowling to Step Down as Northwell Health President & CEO, to Be Succeeded by Northwell Executive VP John D’Angelo, MD

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2025--

Northwell Health, New York’s largest non-for-profit health care provider and private employer, today announced that after serving as Northwell’s first president and chief executive officer for more than 23 years, Michael J. Dowling will step down effective October 1, 2025 and transition to the role of CEO Emeritus, where he will serve in an advisory capacity, supporting the advancement of key public health initiatives, and focusing on teaching and writing.

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Mr. Dowling’s transition marks the end of an extraordinary tenure characterized by significant growth, industry innovation, and a steadfast commitment to enhancing health for all. Over the past two decades, his visionary leadership has transformed Northwell from a network of Long Island-based hospitals into one of the nation's ten largest health systems, renowned for its clinical, academic, and research excellence. Under his leadership, Northwell became New York State’s first integrated health system in 1992 and now includes 28 hospitals across New York and Connecticut, employing 104,000 individuals, with over 14,000 affiliated physicians, 1,000 care locations, and a comprehensive network of home care, rehabilitation, and end-of-life services.

As president and CEO of Northwell, Michael Dowling spearheaded the system's remarkable expansion, championing investments in research, leading to the growth of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and positioning Northwell at the forefront of bioelectronic medicine. His dedication to innovative medical education through the Zucker School of Medicine, the Hofstra-Northwell School of Nursing, and Northwell’s Center for Learning and Innovation has cultivated the next generation of healthcare professionals. Additionally, Mr. Dowling has taken a leadership role in addressing gun violence, the leading cause of death among children in the United States, recognizing it as a critical healthcare issue. He has mobilized over 60 healthcare CEOs nationwide to support gun violence prevention. For 18 consecutive years, he has been named to Modern Healthcare magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare,” achieving the magazine’s #1 ranking in 2022.

After an extensive nationwide search, and confirmed in a unanimous vote, Northwell’s Board of Trustees has appointed John D’Angelo, MD, who currently serves as executive vice president of the health system’s central region, to succeed Mr. Dowling as president and CEO in October. Dr. D’Angelo began his more than 25-year tenure at Northwell as an emergency medicine physician at Glen Cove Hospital before advancing into health system-wide clinical and administrative leadership roles.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to lead Northwell through a period of unprecedented growth and clinical transformation that has enabled our team members to make a meaningful difference and improve the lives of the tens of millions of patients and families who we’ve cared for over the last 25 years,” said Mr. Dowling. “In Dr. D’Angelo, the Board of Trustees has selected a tremendous leader who will lead Northwell to greater heights. John is someone who understands and champions Northwell’s unique and differentiated culture and his clinical and operational acumen coupled with skills as a decisive and collaborative leader will enable Northwell to raise the bar on the quality of care we deliver to the communities we serve in New York and Connecticut. I look forward to partnering with Dr. D’Angelo in the coming months to help ensure a seamless transition to what will be an exciting new chapter in the 33-year history of Northwell.”

“I am humbled and honored to be selected to succeed Michael Dowling as Northwell President and CEO. I am committed to build on his unparalleled legacy and vision that grew Northwell from a Long Island based health system into a regional and national health care leader,” said Dr. D’Angelo. “Healthcare is a calling. Every minute of every day we have an opportunity to change someone’s life for the better, and I look forward to leading our more than 100,000 team members who contribute to this critically important mission. Together, we will continue advancing better health for all.”

As president of Northwell’s central region, Dr. D’Angelo leads a dynamic healthcare network serving 2.8 million residents in western Nassau County and Queens, a network that includes 6 hospitals, over 270 ambulatory practice locations, and a dedicated team of 24,000 employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. D’Angelo was at the forefront, orchestrating Northwell's operational response and later becoming Chief of Integrated Operations charged with streamlining system operations in the post-pandemic era.

Before this role, Dr. D’Angelo was the senior vice president of Northwell’s Emergency Medicine service line, where he managed 18 emergency departments and network of 60+ urgent care centers, serving 1.5 million patients annually. With nearly three decades of experience as an emergency medicine physician, Dr. D’Angelo possesses a deep understanding of clinical care delivery, quality, process improvement, and operational management.

“The Northwell Board of Trustees is enormously grateful for Michael Dowling's extraordinary tenure, and we are delighted to name Dr. D’Angelo as our next CEO," said Board Chair Margaret Crotty. "Dr. D’Angelo is an experienced administrator, leading a region that itself would rank among the country's largest health systems. He is a trusted mentor for so many Northwell leaders; a respected manager who inspires his team to consistently drive results; and a strategic leader who deploys technology toward the best health outcomes. John clearly stood out among an impressive slate as the best person to bring Northwell into a new era of care.”

About Northwell Health

Northwell is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses and over 20,000 physicians. Northwell cares for more than three million people annually in the New York metro area, including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, western Connecticut and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Northwell is New York State’s largest private employer with over 104,000 employees – including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners and Nuvance Health Medical Practices – who are working to change health care for the better. Northwell is making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Northwell is 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, visitNorthwell.eduand follow us @NorthwellHealth onFacebook,X,InstagramandLinkedIn.

Northwell Health’s Michael Dowling (left) and Dr. John D’Angelo (right). (Credit: Lee Weissman/Northwell Health).

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Democrats called for investigations Wednesday into renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the ongoing drama over the president’s problem-plagued, $16 million rehabilitation project continued to roil the capital.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate demanded answers about the saga that's been highlighted in the news cycle for weeks, even as the White House has repeatedly blamed — without evidence — unidentified vandals for peeling paint and other problems. Six people have been arrested, President Donald Trump said, without providing details, and a local wildlife nonprofit conducted necropsies on dead ducks found near the Reflecting Pool. The president has said the pool may need to be drained once again for additional repairs.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, challenged the Trump administration over no-bid contracts for work on the Reflecting Pool, saying they were awarded to vendors with previous relationships to Trump.

National Park Service projects undertaken at Trump’s behest in the Washington area “have been marked by blatant corruption, a shocking lack of transparency, disregard for legal requirements and apparent incompetence,” Blumenthal wrote Wednesday in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Jessica Bowron, the acting Park Service director.

“Rushed no-bid contracts given to unqualified vendors with previous relationships to the president resulted in a reflecting pool more covered with algae than before, with freshly painted chunks of paint peeling from the bottom to float on the pool’s surface,” Blumenthal said.

The nation's capital “will now celebrate America's 250th birthday with an empty reflecting pool, a testament to incompetence and corruption,” he added.

Ohio-based Green Water Solutions was given a $1.7 million contract to install a water-purification system in the Reflecting Pool, while Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.

Both contractors have ties to Trump entities, said California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“Donald Trump’s disastrous renovation of our national reflecting pool is his latest failed vanity project,” Garcia said, calling the projects a waste of taxpayer money.

Trump pledged to beautify the century-old Reflecting Pool ahead of the nation's 250th birthday celebrations, draining its water and directing the bottom to be painted a color he dubbed “American flag blue.” But since the site was restored, its water has been plagued by an algae bloom and pieces of the new coating have appeared to be peeling off the bottom.

Without evidence, Trump has repeatedly blamed the peeling paint on vandalism, including a “350-foot gash” in the liner, as the administration faces a self-imposed deadline to complete the renovation before July 4th. Trump also has said the federal government would release images to substantiate his claim.

Trump said Wednesday that “sick people” had used razors and box cutters to slice portions of the lining. He wasn’t sure if the pool draining would come before or after the July 4 holiday, during which tens of thousands of people will be at the National Mall.

The U.S. Park Police posted surveillance footage Wednesday evening and asked for help “identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation.” The grainy, 30-second video appears to show a person kneeling down, reaching into the reflecting pool and removing something from the water. Police said it was taken Friday afternoon.

A White House spokeswoman it’s “a shame that Democrats do not think the capital of the greatest nation in the history of the world deserves to be safe and beautiful.”

Trump “generously spearheaded the restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has long been plagued with algae and leaked 16 million gallons of water per year. The president’s efforts to beautify our nation’s capital are supported by Americans across the country and should be praised by both Republicans and Democrats,″ spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.

A spokeswoman for Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, said Wednesday the company uses devices called nanobubblers to infuse ozone into the water to kill algae and bacteria. The process is “functioning perfectly” and the water looked clear and blue Wednesday, after rain muddled it Tuesday, spokeswoman Erin Kramer said.

“The water is clear. What is visible is the sediment on the pool floor, a natural part of the remediation process when the algae dies,” she said. In a lake or river, that sediment is absorbed, but in a pool it needs to be vacuumed, she said.

The company is owned by John Cafaro, a Trump donor who lives near Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club in Florida.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which spread blue sealant across the pool’s concrete floor, is owned by Curtis “Eddie” Wood. The company said this week it has identified some areas in the Reflecting Pool that require repairs, adding that the work will done once the pool is drained. It was unclear when that will happen.

Amid the calls for investigations, Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado called for Trump to personally reimburse American taxpayers for the pool renovations, which he called “a national embarrassment.”

Americans expect their tax dollars “to fix roads, support schools and protect our public lands,” Hickenlooper wrote in a letter to Trump. “They do not expect to bankroll failed presidential vanity projects. The bill for this fiasco should only belong to you, Mr. President.”

Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard contributed to this story.

Different shades of colors are seen on the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A duck swims across the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A white substance is pumped into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A duck and ducklings swim in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Visitors take a selfie at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A white substance is pumped into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)