Mount Sinai South Nassau Board Co-Chair Anthony Cancellieri—Longtime Rockville Centre Resident and Hospital Volunteer—Is Honoree of Hospital’s Annual Gala

Portion of funds raised will support Comprehensive Stroke Program Nurse leader and radiology chair also to be honored at newly renovated Eisenhower Park venue, The Lannin

In recognition of his decades-long volunteer leadership and dedication to the growth of Mount Sinai South Nassau, Anthony Cancellieri, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Board of Directors, has been named the honoree of the hospital’s 2023 Soiree Under the Stars gala.

The hospital’s largest annual fundraiser will be held at The Lannin, the newly renovated and reopened venue at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, on Saturday, September 23, at 7 pm, featuring top Broadway entertainment.

Known as the “Soirée Under the Stars,” the event will benefit Mount Sinai South Nassau’s investment in a $10 million upgrade of its Comprehensive Stroke Program, which will save lives on the South Shore of Long Island by providing enhanced around-the-clock coverage for interventional treatment of complex and life-threatening vascular diseases, such as stroke and aneurysm.

As part of the program upgrade, Mount Sinai South Nassau is installing a Bi-Plane 3D interventional radiology imaging suite for precise, rapid treatment of blood clots and vascular diseases and will apply for Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center designation from the Joint Commission.

The hospital also will honor Matthew Rifkin, MD, Chair of the Department of Radiology, and Dawn Keiley, MHA, BSN, RN, Senior Director of Nursing. They will be presented with the hospital’s Mary Pearson and Cupola awards, respectively.

“Tony’s leadership, support, and commitment to the hospital’s mission cannot be overestimated,” said Adhi Sharma, MD, Mount Sinai South Nassau’s President. “There is no one more deserving than Tony, who has helped shepherd our hospital through many milestones, including the affiliation with the Mount Sinai Health System; our $500 million capital campaign; and community support for the staff during and after COVID-19, which was one of the biggest challenges our hospital and our community has ever faced. He has dedicated thousands of volunteer hours, lending his expertise in government affairs, fund-raising, and development.”

Formerly a Vice President of Park Strategies, LLC, a lobbying and business development firm, Mr. Cancellieri was appointed to Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Board in 2009. He is also a member of Mount Sinai Health System’s Boards of Trustees and an associate member of the Board of Directors of the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In 2018, Mr. Cancellieri and his wife, MaryLou, co-founded RVC Blue Speaks, Inc., a grassroots nonprofit supporting those with autism spectrum disorder. The group has raised more than $400,000 to support local Autism charities and gifted scholarships to deserving local students.

As Co-Chair of the hospital’s Board, Mr. Cancellieri has worked to secure major donations from philanthropic organizations and individuals to support the hospital’s growth. He also has devoted countless hours to the success of the hospital’s annual golf outing and Soiree Under the Stars gala.

Mr. Cancellieri served in the New York Police Department (NYPD) as a lieutenant, and while on leave from the NYPD served as Deputy Commissioner New York City Department of Finance and Assistant Commissioner NYC Parks and Recreation. Upon completing his service as an NYPD officer, Mr. Cancellieri was named village administrator in Rockville Centre. He later was tapped by then-Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi to serve as his Chief Deputy County Executive, helping to lead one of the largest local government organizations in the state.

“Tony’s expertise and leadership have been key to our ability to better serve the residents of the South Shore by moving South Nassau from a community hospital to a true regional medical center with a leading-edge academic medical center partner in Mount Sinai,” said Joe Fennessy, the former Chair of the hospital’s Board of Directors. “Tony repeatedly stepped up when needed most.”

The Mary Pearson Award, named in honor of the hospital’s founding administrator, is presented annually to an individual for extraordinary effort and individual contributions that significantly advance the hospital’s commitment to the community. The Cupola Award, established in 2015, honors a deserving hospital employee who goes above and beyond their duties and lives by the hospital mission to promote excellence in health care.



Professor of Radiology at Icahn Mount Sinai, and Chair of the Department of Radiology at Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Rifkin, who is board certified in radiology, has nearly 50 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Rifkin’s experience, combined with his vision and leadership, has been instrumental in the expansion of the hospital’s Radiology Department to include interventional radiology services as well as the installation of the Biplane Imaging System, which is expected to be completed this fall.

“Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Radiology Department has achieved many milestones under the strategic leadership and direction of Dr. Rifkin,” said Dr. Sharma. “We are pleased to recognize his decades of clinical leadership and outstanding achievements.”

Ms. Keiley started her nursing career at what was then called South Nassau Communities Hospital. Since then, the hospital has evolved to become a regional health care provider of high-quality acute care and ambulatory medical services, joined the prestigious Mount Sinai Health System, and been renamed Mount Sinai South Nassau, while Ms. Keiley became a core leader of the hospital’s American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet®-designated nursing staff.

Recognized for her expertise in leading administrative and clinical nursing practice, Ms. Keiley directs all aspects of nursing operations across the hospital’s Inpatient Telemetry, Medical/Surgical,  Behavioral Health units , Staffing and Off-shift Leadership.

During her 38-year career at the hospital, she has served as a staff nurse, assistant nurse manager, and assistant nurse director, rising to the rank of Senior Director of Nursing. She is a certified Healthcare Emergency Professional and Healthcare Safety Professional and holds professional certifications from the National Incident Management System and Crisis Prevention Institute. She has assumed the role of Incident Commander for many community emergencies from hurricane Sandy to Covid ensuring smooth operations of the organization for clients, families and employees. Ms. Keiley has also earned a Master of Health Administration and Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from Saint Joseph’s University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing.

“Dawn’s clinical experience, organizational knowledge, mentorship, and leadership have been invaluable to the development of our staff and the quality, efficiency, and high standards of nursing and patient care at Mount Sinai South Nassau,” said Stacey Conklin, RN, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services. “I can’t think of a person at Mount Sinai South Nassau who reflects the essence of the award and is more deserving of it.”

In addition to the stroke program, funds raised at the Soirée will support Mount Sinai South Nassau’s $500 million long-term strategic growth initiative designed to improve service for patients across the South Shore of Long Island. This includes the recently opened $35 million Mount Sinai Doctors-Long Beach multispecialty medical arts pavilion as well as the four-story $135 million Feil Family Pavilion and Fennessy Family Emergency Center expansion to the hospital, which will open in 2024, as well as the new Wantagh medical arts building, which will begin serving patients in 2025.

“Tony, Dawn, and Dr. Rifkin reflect the teamwork, selflessness, and dedication that are the driving forces of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s tradition of excellence in the delivery of high-quality health care. It is our honor to recognize and thank them for their good works,” said Steven Gold, Co-Chair of the Soirée and Chair of the hospital’s Development Committee.

This year’s event again will feature a two-hour outdoor reception starting at 7 pm that will be highlighted by an array of food choices, unlimited top-shelf open bar, passed hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to mingle with the hospital’s key supporters, staff, board leadership, and administration. Following the reception and a short program, guests will enjoy an hour of Broadway-quality cabaret-style live entertainment.

To learn more about the Soirée, purchase tickets, or support the event as a sponsor, call Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Development office at (516) 377-5360, or visit www.southnassaulifesaver.org.

About Mount Sinai South Nassau
The Long Island flagship hospital of the Mount Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai South Nassau is designated a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for outstanding nursing care. Mount Sinai South Nassau is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 455 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,500 employees. Located in Oceanside, New York, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health, and emergency services and operates the only Trauma Center on the South Shore of Nassau County, along with Long Island’s only free-standing Emergency Department in Long Beach.

In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, Mount Sinai South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty, and offers Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery technologies. Mount Sinai South Nassau operates the only Trauma Center on the South Shore of Nassau County verified by the American College of Surgeons as well as Long Island’s only free-standing, 9-1-1 receiving Emergency Department in Long Beach. Mount Sinai South Nassau also is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons; is an accredited center of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Association and Quality Improvement Program; and an Infectious Diseases Society of America Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence. For more information, go to www.mountsinai.org/southnassau.