As COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, men and women in the health care profession risk their lives daily to save those who have become infected. Never has it been more important to acknowledge the contributions and commitments of our local nurses. In honor of their service and Black History Month, we would like to honor two of our most notable local heroes.
Dr. Rilliwan Adekiigbe
Dr. Riliwan Adekiigbe has been with Long Island Community Hospital since July 2019. He is originally from Nigeria but now lives in the Bronx.
“From the start of the pandemic, Dr. Adekiigbe and his fellow residents have served as the true front-line physicians for our community, working hand-in- hand with our professional and nursing staff to care for our most critically ill patients,” said LI Community Hospital president and CEO Richard Margulis. “I am so thankful for Dr. Adekiigbe’s dedi- cation to our hospital and his patients.”
“Dr. Adekiigbe is great mentor and a real asset to our program,” added Sam Arcieri, MD and chief resident physician. “He’s constantly checking up on his fellow residents and makes working through a crisis easier because you know he always has your back.”
Dr. Adekiigbe completed his undergraduate education in applied economics and management from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. While at Cornell, he worked as an intern at Google. Following graduation, he changed his career path and completed his medical education at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Sint Maarten. Dr. Adekiigbe volunteered extensively and co-authored and presented numerous abstracts as a medical student. In his free time, Dr. Adekiigbe enjoys barbering, D.Jing and cooking.
Kimberly Green-Myers, nurse aide 
Kimberly Green-Myers started as a nurse aide with Long Island Community Hospital in 2017 and moved into a RN position in 2019.
“COVID-19 challenged our heroic nurses like never before as extremely sick patients needed all of their skill and knowledge, but it was the personal compassion of nurses like Kim, that truly made the difference,” said Margulis of Kim’s work ethic. “Kim not only deliv- ered the care her patients needed but she also served as a friend and comforter.”
The hardest part of the pandemic, Green-Myers said, is the constant worrying about possibly getting family sick. She and her husband and a 17-year-old daughter reside in Coram.
“Is there enough PPE to protect me and my patients?” she said of her constant thought.
She also noted that seeing patients die alone was one of the most intense parts of the current job. Her future aspiration includes returning to school for her BSN and eventually a master’s degree. She currently holds a bachelor’s in phycology from Syracuse University.
Tate Dee Losee, Green-Myers’s nurse manager, also described her as kind, professional and compassionate.
“I have witnessed Kim as a caring mother, compassionate nurse and true team member,” she added. “Through these trying times, Kim has stepped up by assisting her coworkers every shift anyway she can and consistently signs up for extra shifts. Her work ethic is extraordinary and her nursing skills are impressive. Always with a smile on her face and kindness in her voice, she provides the safest possible care to her patients.”
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