Natalia Cineas, MBA, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FADLN, serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive and Co-Chair, Equity and Access Council for NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal public health care system in the nation, serving 1.4 million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations. She serves as clinical lead for the organization, directing more than 9,600 nurses; planning, overseeing and evaluating all aspects of clinical operations, services and nurse education to ensure the delivery of quality, safe, standardized, and cost-effective nursing care to patients and the community. As co-chair of NYC Health + Hospitals’ Health & Equity Access Council, she is actively engaged in identifying and defining system-wide strategic diversity and inclusion priorities.

Dr. Cineas previously held nursing leadership roles at as Senior Director of Nursing and Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at New York City’s Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital; and as Patient Care Director of Neurosurgery and the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit at Columbia University Medical Center New York Presbyterian Hospital. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare from Northern Arizona University’s W.A. Franke College of Business; a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from George Washington University, a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Stony Brook University.

In 2021, she was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the most significant milestones in a nurse leader’s career, in which their accomplishments are honored by colleagues; she currently serves on the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee and previously served on the Health Equity Panel. In 2020 and 2021, she completed the Samuel H. and Maria Miller Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship program at Case Western Reserve University’s Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in Cleveland, one of just 11 nurse leaders selected for the inaugural class. In 2022, she was one of a select group of nurse executives completing the Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Fellowship Program at the Academy, in partnership with the American Nurses Association, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. In 2022, she completed the Wharton Nursing Leaders Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. In 2023, she completed the Harvard Business School Leadership For Senior Executives Program, presented jointly with the Harvard Business School Leadership Initiative and designed to help today’s business leaders confront dynamic and complex challenges and opportunities, all while inspiring and leading others. She serves as a mentor in the National Black Nurses Association/Johnson & Johnson Minority Nurse Leadership program.

Dr. Cineas serves as adjunct faculty at Columbia University School of Nursing, teaching nursing leadership courses in the doctoral and masters level degree programs. In 2024, she was named an Inaugural Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, a new fellowship program to recognize, support, and promote the astounding work that has been done to diversify the nursing profession by advancing health equity, creating anti-racism policies, and strengthening antiracism healthcare practices in an intentional way.

She is a trustee of the New York Academy of Medicine; is president of the New York City American Heart Association Board; serves on the Joint Commission Technical Advisory Panel, “Reducing Health Care Disparities;” is a member of the Helene Fuld College of Nursing Board; a member of the Promoting Health in Haiti Board; a member of the Women’s Leadership Council of Stony Brook University Board; a member of the United Way of New York City Workforce Initiative Board; a member of the American Nurses Association Nurse Staffing Task Force; a member of the “Bridging Quality and Equity in Health Care Delivery’ Project Task Force of the United Hospital Fund of New York; a board member of Nurses Educational Funds; a member of the Policy Committee, Best Practices Committee, and Program Committee Vendor Support Team for the New York Organization of Nurse Executive Leaders; a Scientific Committee member and Keynote Speaker for the Nursing World Conference; a founding member of the National Black Nurses Association Greater NYC Chapter; and a board member on the Long Island University Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn School of Nursing Professional Nursing Advisory Board.

A dynamic and passionate public speaker, Dr. Cineas is regularly called upon as a keynote and panelist at numerous national and international healthcare conferences, spotlighting improvements and evidence-based best practices in the nursing profession. Her recent presentations include speeches on nursing education, recruitment and retention; special addresses on implementing diversity and inclusion strategies; and sharing nursing best practices during the COVID-19 global pandemic.