On World Sepsis Day, We Honor a Hero.

In April 2012, we stood as a family in utter turmoil and torment. Our son had been taken by something we did not even know how to fear: sepsis. In just four days, it claimed his life. His death left us hollow, the light stolen from our days. In plain English, we didn’t know if we were coming or going – we were drowning in disbelief and grief.

To be honest, it is very hard to remember much from those days – or from many since – other than the darkness and the need to protect our little family. My brother Niall and his wife Debbie invited us to their home on Long Island, where we tried to hold on to some semblance of normalcy, especially for our daughter, Kathleen. It was there, in a room off the back garden, that we first met Michael Dowling. Michael spoke to us about Rory and about sepsis. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we knew we had met someone very special. He honored our grief, told us of Northwell Health’s success at tackling sepsis, where he was the President and CEO, and he gave us a roadmap that ended up changing the world.

That promise became Rory’s Regulations—the first statewide mandate in the nation requiring hospitals to adopt evidence-based sepsis protocols. From the very beginning, Michael Dowling and his staff showed us the way. In those early days, when some questioned whether change was possible – or even necessary – Michael recognized the urgency of our call. Northwell was among the first health systems to reduce sepsis fatalities. Along with the New York State Department of Health, Rory’s Regulations were introduced to ensure that every patient in New York State would receive timely sepsis screening and treatment.

For us, as Rory’s parents, Michael’s support was deeply personal. He didn’t just see sepsis as a clinical challenge – he saw it as a human crisis. He met with us, listened to our story, and committed to doing everything in his power to prevent another child, another parent, another family from enduring the same nightmare. His compassion gave us strength, and his action gave us hope.

Michael carried that same urgency beyond New York. As a national health leader, he amplified the lessons learned here, urging hospital systems and policymakers across the country to follow New York’s lead. He showed what it looks like when healthcare leadership is driven not only by data and policy, but by humanity and courage.

Today, thousands of lives have been saved because hospitals responded faster, clinicians acted sooner, and systems changed the way they viewed sepsis. That progress owes much to Michael Dowling’s vision and leadership. His legacy is measured in lives saved, families spared, and futures restored.

On October 1st, Michael will step down as President and CEO of Northwell Health, after 23 years, transitioning to the role of CEO Emeritus. We are pleased that he will still be involved in public health initiatives and that John D’Angelo MD, another strong sepsis advocate, will succeed him.

This World Sepsis Day, we celebrate a true sepsis champion, Michael Dowling.

– Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton