New York’s largest hospital network, Northwell Health, is turning its expertise in healthcare into a full-scale television production venture. Northwell Studio, a newly launched Long Island-based production team, is crafting both scripted and documentary-style shows focused on the medical world, aiming to draw in viewers captivated by shows like Grey’s Anatomy and, at the same time, boost Northwell’s visibility and appeal to future talent in ways that are both bold and unconventional.
For Northwell CEO Michael Dowling, Northwell Studio is a natural evolution. “Now, if you’re thinking of a movie studio, what do they do?” he asked The New York Post. “They create a building, they create a situation, and then they have actors and actresses performing. But I have the real thing in the real world.” For Dowling, this “real thing” is the unique, daily work across Northwell’s 21 hospitals, from surgeries to patient care, brought to life by doctors and nurses who give a more grounded, unfiltered look at healthcare than any fictionalized show could offer.
Northwell’s connection with television storytelling isn’t new. In 2018, they partnered with Netflix to produce Lenox Hill, a docuseries following four doctors at the hospital of the same name in Manhattan, which gave the public an unprecedented look behind the scenes of a major hospital. Yet it was during the pandemic that Northwell’s place in the spotlight intensified. As COVID-19 cases surged and healthcare facilities became overwhelmed, Dowling made a bold decision to grant a documentary crew access to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, giving them five months to capture over 850 hours of footage from inside the heart of the crisis. The end result was First Wave, an Emmy-winning documentary that showcased the harrowing reality of frontline workers battling an invisible enemy and revealed the courage, vulnerability, and resilience of those on the frontlines.
This July, Northwell took its media presence to the next level with the formal launch of Northwell Studio. Now developing both scripted and unscripted content, the studio aims to demystify the daily reality of hospitals, shedding light on healthcare professionals’ commitment and the human stories behind medical care.
“During Covid … we allowed a documentary crew into one of our top hospitals… to film what went on every day in the hospital,” Dowling explained. His hope is that Northwell Studio can continue this legacy by revealing the demanding and often misunderstood work that goes into healthcare.
Real-life medical series like NY Med encountered legal troubles for neglecting to obtain proper patient permissions, which led to millions in fines for New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dowling emphasizes that Northwell is diligent about protecting patient privacy and believes that with full control over production, Northwell Studio is equipped to prevent such missteps.
Though Northwell hasn’t directly profited from its media ventures, Dowling is confident that increased public visibility is invaluable, drawing in more patients and creating a magnet for new talent. “Talent is attracted to organizations that are innovative and creative, that want to do things a little bit differently,” he notes, adding, “I’ve been taking the lead in a lot of things that other people don’t do.”
Dowling hopes Northwell’s programming will inspire a new generation to enter the field. The network’s shows have already elevated Northwell doctors to public recognition: neurosurgeon Dr. David Langer, a central figure in Lenox Hill, has since been featured in The New York Times and other major outlets, largely thanks to his Netflix appearance.
Looking forward, Northwell Studio is keeping a busy production slate. The mental health series The Village is in development and follows One South – Portrait of a Psych Unit, which premiered on Max this summer. Several additional series are underway, capturing the revitalization of New York City since the dark days of early 2020. Reflecting on New York’s path from pandemic to recovery, Dowling jokes, “During Covid … I made the joke you could have fallen asleep on 5th Avenue and nobody would hit you. But New York is resilient… it has gone through tough periods in the past. It is rejuvenated — just walk around.”
