It was a golden day at Northwell Health, thanks to the musical offerings of the Drew Angus Band, who created a special song for frontline workers in honor of National Best Friends Day on June 8.
After hearing a devastating first-hand account from a friend in health care, Angus and the band decided they had to do something to recognize the sacrifices and compassion of the medical staff.
After gaining permission from the rights owner to the iconic song, “Thank You for Being a Friend,” the theme song from the long-running sitcom “The Golden Girls,” the band rewrote the lyrics to create, as Angus put it, “the new COVID-19 version.”
In a virtual concert MC’d by Joe Moscola, senior vice president and chief people officer of Northwell, the band performed their song in the presence of two staff members who had been treated for COVID-19 and then made the heroic decision to return to work – Bernard Robinson and Jackie Usuriello.
Robinson, who serves as regional director of Northwell’s Center for Emergency Medical Services, oversees the activities of about 800 EMTs and paramedics. Late in March, he noticed that he wasn’t feeling well.
“In fact, I had COVID-19,” Robinson said. “I became an in-patient twice and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome. I’m so grateful to all my friends at Northwell who didn’t give up on me. It’s an honor for me to be here today.”
Jackie Usuriello is a research nurse at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. During the height of the outbreak, she was working out of North Shore University Hospital.
“I noticed that I was feeling exhausted. Of course, I figured that was because we were all so busy… no time to sleep or eat properly. When I learned that someone close to me was sick, I decided to get tested,” Usuriello said. “I was actually shocked to find that I had tested positive.
“So, I went home to quarantine and followed all the protocols. And, as soon as I was allowed to, I rushed back to work to do my job. I’m here to thank all my friends and colleagues at Northwell who showed me so much love.”
After thanking the band for their performance, Moscola noted how “we’ve watched our co-workers face the onslaught of sickness with courage, compassion, and grace. We are so grateful for the donations of food, supplies, PPE; so many of our friends in the community have reached out to us, offering to help us in any way they could… to let us know that we are making a difference in their lives.”
“Today, we’re particularly grateful to Drew Angus and his band… for giving us the gift of their music. We immediately recognized the tune, but the words were original and straight from their hearts.”
To view the event in its entirety, please see: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dAGDZdGZ7Nb7fUnQhOLUEQXTTijOhXKf?usp=sharing
Submitted by Northwell Health
