For Daniel J. Maughan, ’01, MSN ’11, MBA ’04, FNP-c, President and CEO of Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall, Healthcare is a personal commitment to the community.
Having earned three degrees from Mount Saint Mary College, Maughan understands firsthand how the institution shapes compassionate leaders who are ready to make an immediate impact.
Personal drive is key to success for college students, he explained, as well as actively engaging in the learning process.
“This is your education, so you have to take full advantage of it,” he said. “The college offers you very small classroom sizes, where you can ask any question to any faculty member. They really are there to make you the best, and also to make your education the best. But you have to put that effort in. So, my best advice is: it’s your education, has to be your effort, and you have the best of the best to help you get it.”
The relationship between the Mount and local healthcare institutions like Montefiore St. Luke’s runs deep. As CEO, Maughan actively looks to hire Mount graduates.
“Montefiore St. Luke’s loves to hire Mount graduates for a lot of reasons,” he explained. “One, I like to hire local community members who have gone to school at one of our local colleges. It’s great for our community. Two, the foundation that the Mount gives in education, leadership, compassion – whether you’re in a clinical or a non-clinical program – is second to none as far as I’m concerned. That’s certainly what we need here at a hospital, whether you’re in a clinical role or a non-clinical role. So compassion, kindness, all things that are taught at the Mount, those matter.”
While academic preparation and clinical training are essential, Maughan explained that what truly sets a great nurse apart is something deeper: “The next thing that we look for is the heart. Are they going to meet the culture that we have here at the hospital? Do they really have what it takes to be a nurse in the real world? And I would say that 100 percent of the time, our Mount nurses meet that.”
In the end, he said, both the Mount and Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall share a very important pillar: the commitment to the surrounding community.
“The programs that the Mount [has] for volunteer work, for clinical rotations, all involve this community,” he explained. “And I think the Mount does that exceptionally well. We do too, here at Montefiore St. Luke’s, and it is something that we value very deeply… together, we are caring for this community, and I don’t think there’s anything better than caring for your community.”