Mather Hospital Unveils New Blue and White Gala

Northwell's Mather Hospital's JTM Foundation is pleased to announce its highly anticipated Blue and White Gala, a night of relaxed elegance, purpose and celebration, is scheduled for August 21, 2026, from 6:00 to 10:00pm. The outdoor event will take place at The Meadow at the Port Jefferson Country Club, offering breathtaking views overlooking the Long Island Sound.

Guests are invited to dress in blue and white Hampton chic attire for an enchanting evening featuring live music, an extended cocktail hour set in a scenic outdoor lounge and a unique foodie experience. The night will also include a brief program, an exquisite evening dessert reception and additional surprises designed to delight attendees.

A cornerstone of the gala will be the presentation of the prestigious 2026 Theodore Roosevelt Awards, recognizing three exceptional individuals for their profound contributions to the community and health care. This year's distinguished honorees include:

• Dayton T. Brown, Jr., Chairman, Dayton T. Brown, Inc.

For more than 75 years, Dayton T. Brown, Jr. has seamlessly blended visionary corporate leadership with deeply rooted community philanthropy. His legacy traces its origins to Manhasset, N.Y., where his parents, Jane and Dayton T. Brown, Sr., helped establish North Shore University Hospital, planting the seed for a lifelong passion for giving back.

• Kenneth Hirsch, MD, FACEP, Co-Director, Hyperbaric Medicine / Emergency Medicine Physician, Mather Hospital

For more than three decades, Kenneth Hirsch, MD, FACEP, has served the Long Island community as a dedicated emergency and hyperbaric medicine physician at Mather Hospital. He is celebrated for bringing clinical excellence, pioneering expertise, and an enduring commitment to patient care and medical education.

• Denise Driscoll, RN-BC, CARN, PMHCNS-BC, NPP, Assistant Vice President, Behavioral Health, Mather Hospital

Denise Driscoll is recognized as a visionary psychiatric nursing leader whose 39 years of dedicated service reflect a deep and unwavering commitment to public welfare and the advancement of behavioral health care on Long Island.

"The Blue and White Gala is more than just an event; it's a vibrant celebration of community, philanthropy and the unwavering dedication of the individuals who continuously raise the health and wellness of our community," said Matthew Colson, Mather Hospital Vice President for Foundation and External Affairs. "We are incredibly proud to honor Dayton T. Brown, Jr., Dr. Kenneth Hirsch, and Denise Driscoll, whose legacies embody the spirit of service and excellence that Mather Hospital strives for every day. We invite everyone to join us for an unforgettable event."

Proceeds from the Blue and White Gala will benefit the JTM Foundation's Mather Fund. An ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional patient care and advancing innovative medical services for the community.

To learn more about the gala, purchase tickets, or explore sponsorship opportunities, please visit matherhospital.org/gala.

About Mather Hospital

Mather Hospital is an accredited 249-bed, non-profit community teaching hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high-quality healthcare services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion, respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones. Mather received its fourth top five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for outcomes, patient experience and process and the prestigious Magnet® recognition three times from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. The hospital was rated high performing by U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 Best Hospitals rankings in two medical specialties of gastroenterology and GI surgery and pulmonology and lung surgery, and for congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and pneumonia. Mather also was named one of America's 250 best hospitals for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 by Healthgrades and in 2026 received Healthgrades' Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ for the sixth consecutive year. Our Graduate Medical Education program prepares physicians for future careers through Internal Medicine, Transitional Year, Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Psychiatry and Pharmacy residency programs and gastroenterology and hematology/oncology fellowships. For information about Mather Hospital, visit matherhospital.org or follow us @MatherHospital on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Northwell Health

Northwell is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses and over 20,000 physicians. Northwell cares for more than three million people annually in the New York metro area, including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, western Connecticut and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Northwell is New York State's largest private employer with over 107,000 employees - including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners and Nuvance Health Medical Practices - who are working to change health care for the better. Northwell, named a TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2025, is making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Northwell is training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.