Healthcare Heroes at Stony Brook Medicine: Denise Reilly

"I am a strong advocate for the patient. I grew up in hospitals, so I know firsthand that being in this type of setting can be overwhelming. In addition to the stressors from being here in the first place, most people don’t even understand the complicated medical terms and acronyms that are thrown at them. But it’s not about dumbing it down. It’s about making it real. It’s about creating an empathetic and personal experience and getting patients and families what they need, when they need it. This is a very important piece of what I do at Stony Brook.

I primarily work with the technology our patients engage with. Our patient portal is a great example of this. We are constantly enhancing this tech to make sure it’s exactly what our patients need. Whether they need to access test results, renew a prescription, message their doctor, or receive important updates from us, such as vaccine eligibility and availability, we want to make interacting with us as seamless and stress-free as possible. I am also very involved in our ambulatory strategy, as my background is in building and running ambulatory programs. I am part of a team that continues to work on uniform messaging and experiences across our organization. The goal is wherever our patients go within the Stony Brook system, there should be consistency.

I am also very involved with other technologies across the health system, as well, including cost accounting; ordering of clinical supplies; staff timekeeping system; and our health information exchange, which allows for a more comprehensive healthcare experience. For example, if you see a doctor at one of our outpatient facilities and then, on a separate occasion, go to one of our hospitals, your provider will have access to your information. In other words, you won’t need to bring your medical records from one place to another.

Stony Brook is on the cutting edge of providing patient care that is meaningful and technologically-advanced. I just feel very lucky to be part of all this in a place where the patient comes first."

Denise Reilly (Director, Patient Engaging Technologies, Health Information Exchange, and Ambulatory Strategy)