Queens Annual Public Meeting – NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals
Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Public Meeting – Queens
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Report by Dr. Mitchell Katz, President and CEO

Good evening, I’m Dr. Mitch Katz, and I’m a practicing primary care doctor and the President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. I am proud and honored to lead this institution for the ninth year. I am also lucky to work with thousands of dedicated nurses, doctors, social workers, and employees who ensure that New Yorkers received the high-quality care they deserve. Some of those folks are in the room today. I’m also proud to serve the new administration under Mayor Mamdani.

I want to thank Queens Hospital for hosting us, our Board Members who are here, the staff who organized this meeting, and the team here tonight who will ensure that your words are captured for all our leadership to hear.

Thank you to the audience members speaking this evening. Your presence here demonstrates how much you care about New York City’s public health care system, the quality of health care in your neighborhood, and the community both inside and outside of our facilities. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing what you have to say.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our goal is care for New York City without exception. And we strive to do that every day.

Before we begin tonight’s meeting, I do want to highlight some of our achievements from this past year.

Our beloved Elmhurst Hospital CEO Helen Arteaga Landaverde was tapped by Mayor Mamdani to be his Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. We are excited for Helen and wish her all the best in this new role.
In Helen’s place, I have appointed another incredible NYC Health + Hospitals alumna, Alina Moran. She was previously the Chief Financial Officer at Elmhurst Hospital, and then was selected to lead NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, where she was also born. We are excited she’s back.
NYC Health + Hospitals continues to play an important role not just in our facilities delivering high quality care, but also most recently through the two major snowstorms. In addition to participating in the City’s Warming Center initiative through our 11 hospitals, we activated WARM — Winter Access, Relief and Medical — ambulettes and mobile units. The units provide clinical consultations, as well as distribute essential supplies including blankets, warm clothing, socks, warm meals, and water to unsheltered New Yorkers. The units will also drive individuals to a warm place of their choosing, like a shelter or warming center.
We have the most patients in primary care than ever before in the recorded history of our System. In fiscal year 2025, there were 459,000 patients in primary care, surpassing the last high in 2015 when we had 453,000.
We were recognized by U.S. News & World Report for having the best hospitals and long-term care facilities. The publication also highlighted five of our hospitals as “High Performing for Uncomplicated Pregnancies” for 2025–2026.
For the first time, 70% of patients in primary care have their type 2 diabetes under control, measured by an A1C below 8.0%. In 2024, we screened nearly 60,000 patients for colorectal cancer using an at-home FIT test — a 12% increase over 2023.
Innovation and expansion remain a priority. We became the first health care System in New York to offer a VNOTES hysterectomy, a minimally invasive technique that provides a range of patient benefits.
Our nurses earned several awards and recognitions, including the Pathway to Excellence with Distinction. Our nurse professional development initiatives also contributed to a nurse turnover rate of just 7.3% in 2025, well below the national average of 16.4%.
This year, our Housing for Health program housed hundreds of people; our medical respite program served more than 300 individuals; and we opened additional housing on the NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull campus, adding 93 new units. Our Bridge to Home program — an innovative support model for patients with severe mental illness who are ready for discharge but lack stable housing — is now fully utilized.
In behavioral health we continue to expand supports for both patients and staff, from our new Critical Time Intervention program to our Social Work Licensure Training program. These initiatives address critical needs.
Finally, after more than three years of round-the-clock operations providing housing and services to asylum seekers, we closed our arrival center and all of our humanitarian centers last year. We helped 140,000+ people at our humanitarian centers and 155k+ people through the arrival center.

QUEENS NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS

I would be remiss if I didn’t specifically highlight our Queens’ facilities accomplishments. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and Queens and Gotham Health sites have contributed to our extraordinary year, too.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens has had a phenomenal year.

Queens Hospital celebrated its 90th Anniversary on November 17, 2025 and its CEO, Neil Moore celebrated his 5th anniversary on February 15th of this year.
It achieved a Hospital Safety Grade of A in both Spring and Fall 2025, making it one of only three hospitals in NYC to earn this distinction.
U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as a high-performing hospital in multiple areas, including Diabetes, Heart Arrhythmia, Heart Failure, and Pneumonia, for the 2025-2026 rankings.
The hospital officially renamed its Pavilion to the Claire Shulman Pavilion in honor of the late Queens Borough President, unveiled during a ceremony on May 1, 2025. This recognition reflects her significant contributions and legacy in the community.
It secured $70 million through the Jamaica neighborhood plan to expand the Claire Shulman Pavilion, enhancing capacity for healthcare services.
The hospital introduced the TrueBeam Linear Accelerator in September 2025, providing state-of-the-art radiotherapy capabilities to address high cancer rates in the community.
The 2025 Lead Summer Program for Youth, funded by a $50,000 grant from Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, helped connect local youth with healthcare resources and support.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center bestowed the prestigious Pathway to Excellence Designation on the hospital, recognizing its positive work environment for nursing staff.
The hospital achieved Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation at the Bronze Level.
Mayor Mamdani announced a new youth behavioral health clinic supported by a $4 million investment from MetroPlusHealth to enhance healthcare access for young residents.

At NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst

Elmhurst Hospital completed a major renovation of one of its highest volume radiology rooms, installing a state-of-the-art X-ray system capable of advanced fluoroscopy and improved imaging that will serve more than 15,000 patients per year.
Its newly renovated Neurology Clinic features expanded exam rooms, a unified suite for General, Stroke/Endovascular services, and a more comfortable and accessible environment for patients with complex neurological conditions.
The hospital started a dedicated Women’s Heart Health service to focus on the unique cardiology needs of women in the community and raise awareness regarding cardiovascular issues in women.
There are major renovations underway and planned for the hospital:
- The Labor & Delivery Unit will have updated birthing suites, recovery space, and Cesarean OR’s, improving patient flow and comfort for moms and families.
  - Renovations in the Emergency Department will help meet rising demand and enhance patient safety as well as comfort and privacy
  - The Infectious Disease Clinic will have a full renovation to modernize and improve the care environment, patient safety and comfort.
The hospital is nationally ranked and called a “Best Regional Hospital” by US News & World Report. It has been further recognized in key categories including: Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Maternity Care, Kidney Failure and Orthopedics.
Additionally, it was named a Best Hospital for 2025 by U.S. News, affirming its role as a trusted and high-performing safety-net hospital in New York City.
The hospital welcomed new pediatric hematology and pediatric infectious diseases specialists, filling long-standing care gaps for children in Queens with rare blood disorders, chronic conditions, and complex infections.
Finally, the hospital now offers 24/7 Social Work coverage in the Emergency Department to meet the needs of our patient population.

And finally, our NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health sites have achieved much this year, too.

The Gotham Health Jackson Heights site, recently renovated and opened in December, is now fully operational, providing pediatric care to the community.
Gotham Health Roosevelt is offering comprehensive radiology services, including mammography, X-ray, DEXA, and ultrasound, with evening and weekend mammogram appointments available.
Further, Gotham Health Roosevelt has been designated as one of the City’s warming centers, providing a safe, warm space for New Yorkers in need.

NYC Health + Hospitals is dedicated to our community, and we could not do it without all of you. Thank you for being here tonight and for your support of our essential public health care System.

Now let’s proceed to the main purpose of tonight’s meeting – to hear from you, members of our community. Your input is so important to the future success of NYC Health + Hospitals.

I will now turn to our General Counsel to outline the proceedings for tonight’s meeting.