The largest hospital system in New York is giving its frontline workers a $2,500 bonus and an extra week of vacation to thank them for their work during the coronavirus pandemic

• Northwell Health, the largest health system in New York, is giving its frontline workers a $2,500 bonus and a week of paid time off for their work responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
• The bonuses are available for healthcare workers like nurses and doctors as well as housekeepers and other "unsung heroes," the health system said in a news release Monday.
• In total, 45,000 workers are eligible for the bonus and time off.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A huge New York hospital system is giving its workers bonuses and extra vacation to thank them for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Northwell Health, which operates 23 hospitals, is giving workers a $2,500 bonus and a week of paid time off, the health system said in a statement on Monday. The bonus and time off are available to healthcare workers like nurses, doctors, and respiratory therapists that have been directly involved in caring for patients.

The rewards also extend to other "unsung heroes," the health system said. That includes housekeepers, environmental service workers responsible for keeping the hospitals clean, and workers in corporate roles as well as those helping patients outside of the hospitals.

In total, the organization expects 45,000 workers are eligible. Northwell is the largest private employer in New York.

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The health system, which has hospitals on Long Island as well as in Manhattan and Queens, has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Monday, Northwell had discharged more than 6,100 patients that had been hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. More than 2,600 patients are still hopsitalized within the system.

Northwell's decision to pay bonuses stands in contrast to some other health systems, which have cut staff or reduced salaries amid the pandemic, as Business Insider previously reported.

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