Rebecca Young, RN, BSN | Legislator Bridget Fleming's Honoree
Patient Navigator and “Help Line” Nurse
This summer, 2023, marks Registered Nurse Rebecca Young’s eighth year managing the “Help Line” at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center where she speaks to as many as 900 residents, visitors and medical professionals a year. In addition to Suffolk County, calls come into the Resource Center from all over the United States and Canada, as well as internationally. Rebecca answers questions about the ticks that are prevalent on Long Island and the diseases they carry, proper removal of attached ticks, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of tick disease, and for those who are actively sick she can assist in finding an appropriate medical provider who is familiar with treating tick-borne diseases. Rebecca’s expert advice also assists those who suffer from persistent Lyme disease. A resident of Sag Harbor, Rebecca Young received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at New York University. For over twenty-five years she worked as a school nurse in both New York City and Brooklyn, as well as in private medical practice. During that time she also spent an equal number of summers as the Medical Director at the Hayground Camp in Bridgehampton, where she assessed Lyme rashes and removed many ticks from both children and adults. Rebecca is an active student of Lyme and tick-disease having participated in international conferences of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, as well as at medical conferences on tick disease at Columbia University and Massachusetts General Hospital. Rebecca is also a popular lecturer, speaking to the community about Lyme and tick disease at libraries, clubs and civic organizations all over Suffolk County.