From Playground Injury to Peace of Mind

"I left feeling genuinely happy knowing that this is the hospital in my community and the one my family is fortunate to have nearby.”

That’s the sentiment that West Islip mom Madalyn Moeller shared after her daughter received emergency care at Good Samaritan University Hospital last year. On Father’s Day in 2025, a celebratory day of family fun at an East End farm took a turn when Madalyn’s daughter Mikayla fell off a slide and injured her wrist.

“We were pretty far out east, but we knew we wanted to take her to Good Sam,” said Madalyn. “We’ve had such a good experience there, and it made sense for us to go close to home knowing that she would be in good hands. For us, it was a no brainer.”

All three of the Moellers’ children were born at Good Samaritan University Hospital. The family was lucky enough to have generally great health, but over the last few years, they found themselves in need of Good Samaritan’s services several times for their youngest daughter, Mikayla. So, they already had the pleasure of knowing Johnny Salazar, RN, who had cared for Mikayla twice for other unrelated health issues before Father’s Day. 

Johnny Salazar— fondly known as “Nurse Johnny” by the Moellers— has been a registered nurse for 15 years, with four years of service at Good Samaritan. Johnny is a trauma-certified registered nurse specializing in pediatric nursing. Trauma nursing has been his dream since childhood when he was first introduced to the fast-paced world of emergency medicine portrayed on popular shows like Doogie Howser, M.D. and ER. 

Until Mikayla’s wrist injury, the Moeller family had been lucky enough to see more of Nurse Johnny around town than in the hospital.

“When we got into triage, we asked, ‘is there any chance Nurse Johnny is here?’ and our triage nurse said, ‘he’s already assigned to you,’” Madalyn recounted. “The first thing he did was hug us and joked that he preferred seeing us at the grocery store than the emergency department.”

Despite the stress of Mikayla’s injury, Madalyn says Nurse Johnny made the entire family’s experience at the hospital a great one. 

As for the other staff who cared for Mikayla? 

“They were phenomenal… they went above and beyond to make sure she was comfortable,” said Madalyn. “I always felt like they were taking care of us very well.”

As a father of four, Nurse Johnny pulls from his own life experiences to deliver the highest level of compassionate care to his patients.

“I love being a father, I love being around kids, and I pull a lot from my experience with my own children, who range from ages 6 to 17,” said Johnny. “I have a lot of empathy, and I make sure the environment is one that will help with their healing.”

Johnny hopes the Moeller family stays well so they see each other in town rather than the ED. 

“I love seeing my patients in the community,” said Johnny. “The last time, I was with my children, so it was great for them to see the impact my work has. When you make a connection with the patient and family, it’s always nice to know that it was reciprocated. It makes me feel proud of the work I do.”

Johnny Salazar, RN (top) is pictured with patient Mikayla Moeller (center) and her  twin siblings, Philip Moeller (left) and Kelsey Moeller (right) after presenting Nurse Johnny with a hand-written thank you card