News

Well-Known White Plains Resident and Professional Engineer/Planner Has Been Long-Time Supporter of Hospital

White Plains, NY (June 2010)–  J. Michael Divney, a long-time supporter and member of White Plains Hospital Center Board of Directors and a well-known professional engineer and certified planner, has been named Chairman of the Hospital’s Board of Directors. He succeeds Paul M. Weissman, also of White Plains, who served as Chairman for 5 years.

A long-time resident of White Plains, Divney joined the Hospital Board in 1995 and has served as the Board’s Vice Chair since 2003. As Chairman of the Board’s Wellness Committee, he founded a new, major Hospital community outreach initiative— Wellness Through Prevention Month— reflecting his commitment to promote healthy lifestyle choices to lower the risks of life- threatening chronic illnesses. Under Divney’s direction, the program has expanded and has become the most comprehensive hospital program of its kind in Westchester, presenting a variety of educational and participatory events including free health screenings for people of all ages.

Jon B. Schandler, Hospital President and CEO, said:  “We are very pleased that Mike will serve in this key leadership position as the Hospital advances to meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve in the years ahead. He brings a unique mix of visionary thinking, strategic planning and a passionate commitment to our community which will prove invaluable in meeting the challenges of today’s healthcare environment.”

Divney stated: “It is an honor to serve with a Board of Directors that has led White Plains Hospital to its place as the finest healthcare institution in Westchester County. The quality and compassion that exemplify the care provided to the community are a direct result of the commitment of our dedicated physicians, nurses and staff and I am proud to be part of this remarkable organization.”
In 1972, Divney founded the predecessor firm to DTS Provident a well-known White Plains-based partnership that provides planning, engineering, landscape architecture, environmental approvals, and project management services. Consistent with its philosophy— “Intelligent Land Use”— Divney’s firm has worked on major development projects with leading companies and organizations in the region including Ridge Hill, Morgan Stanley, Swiss Re America and Rechler Equities, among others.

Divney founded the firm’s professional practice on the belief that the interests of the private and public sectors can be blended together for their mutual benefit, an approach he first employed as Director of Engineering and Planning for the White Plains Urban Renewal Agency, a position he held for six years prior to entering into private practice.

White Plains Hospital Center (WPHC) is a 292-bed voluntary, not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of offering high quality, acute health care and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas.  Centers of Excellence include the Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center and The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center. Other specialty programs include The Westchester Orthopedic Institute and minimally invasive and robotic surgery.  The Hospital has the busiest Emergency Department in Westchester County, treating 48,000 patients a year.  White Plains Hospital Center is an eight-time winner of the Consumer Choice Award, an honor given to the nation’s top hospitals by the National Research Corporation. WPHC is a member of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and the Stellaris Health Network, Inc.  For additional information, visit http://www.wphospital.org.