1. Michael Dowling

Michael Dowling, whose lengthy career has included top positions with Blue Cross Blue Shield and the New York State Department of Health, has served as president and CEO of the North Shore-LIJ health system, the largest healthcare provider in the region—with 16 hospitals, more than 9,000 physicians, 10,000 nurses and other healthcare professionals—since 2002. Under his leadership, North Shore-LIJ has partnered with GE Medical Systems and Harvard University School of Public Health to form the Center for Learning and Innovation, an internal university for North Shore-LIJ staff to improve their professional skills and create a culture of learning. Dowling has also formed alliances with various medical centers, including Montefiore, to increase innovation and improve patient care. He has expanded the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research—ranked in the top 5 percent of all institutions that receive funding from the National Institutes of Health—and thus accelerated research efforts in the areas of immunology, neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease.