Press Releases

2025 Accomplishments at NYC Health + Hospitals: Continued Recognition for High-Quality Care, Securing Housing for Patients, and Elevating the Health Care System Workforce

Dec 16, 2025

NYC Health + Hospitals today shared an overview of some its accomplishments for 2025. The health care system continues to win awards for high-quality care, build new spaces and programs, and develop its workforce as part of its commitment to its patients. Over the year the health care system was cited by national and local publications for having outstanding facilities and leaders.

“We took office with a simple promise: to ‘Get Stuff Done,’ and, four years later, our administration can say we delivered that every day for working-class New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “We drove shootings and to record lows and pushed jobs and small businesses to record highs. We rewrote the playbook on homelessness and mental health to finally get New Yorkers living on our streets the help they need, and, after decades of half-measures, passed historic housing legislation to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes.’ We overhauled the way our students learn to read and do math, cut the cost of child care, and forgave medical debt. We eliminated taxes for low-income families, launched free universal after-school programming, and invested in the health care of New Yorkers by establishing new programs like ‘Bridge to Home’ to support patients with severe mental illness, expanding lifestyle medicine programs, making plant-based meals the default choice for lunch and dinner at 11 hospitals, and hiring over 3,400 nurses since 2024 alone. We got scaffolding off our buildings, trash bags off our streets, and opened up new public spaces for New Yorkers to enjoy. The haters may have doubted us, but the results are clear. On issue after issue, we brought common-sense leadership to create a safer, more affordable city, and our work has changed our city for the better; it will stand the test of time because we made New York City the best place to live and raise a family.”

“Every year I am so proud of our providers and staff for the work they do to make NYC Health + Hospitals a better place to receive care and to build a career,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “I want to congratulate everyone in our system for another exceptional year.”bh

A list of some of the health care system’s major accomplishments for 2025 is below:

Recognized for Delivering High-Quality Care

• All 11 hospitals were named 2025-2026 Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
• Newsweek named Gouverneur the #1 nursing home in New York City. The three remaining nursing homes made the top ten, and the last one was #11, out of more than 600 nursing homes in New York State.
• U.S. News & World Report ranked all five nursing homes as “high-performing” in the 2026 Best Nursing Homes list for both the Long-Term Care and Short-Term Rehabilitation.
• The health care system’s Accountable Care Organization earned $7.2 million for reducing avoidable costs and meeting high standards of quality care. NYC Health + Hospitals is the only health system in New York State to achieve savings for twelve years in a row.
• The American Heart Association recognized several sites for high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol control in primary care, and all 11 hospitals were recognized for quality care for heart disease and stroke in inpatient care, including 5 hospitals that received the new Commitment to Quality award.
• Healthfirst named NYC Health + Hospitals its top provider in 2024 by overall quality rankings.
• US News & World Report ranked Elmhurst, Kings County, Lincoln, South Brooklyn Health, and Woodhull hospitals as High Performing for Uncomplicated Pregnancies for 2025-2026.
• In two years, the health system cut denials for inpatient health insurance claims in half, saving $50 million and earning it the 2024 Richard L. Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare.
• NYC Health + Hospitals landed on the Epic Honor Roll for the third consecutive year for implementing best practices in its electronic health record, earning it a $748,000 grant.
• Queens Hospital received an ‘A’ Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group twice in a row. The recognition uses up to 30 performance measures to determine hospitals that maintain a high standard of care and minimize medical errors.

• Metropolitan Hospital achieved a central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rate of zero — one of 338 hospitals nationwide to reach this distinction.
• Jacobi and North Central Bronx hospitals were recognized with a Gage Award honorable mention for quality improvement for reducing decedent holding time after the COVID-19 pandemic from thirteen days to five days.
• Elmhurst, Kings County, Queens, and Woodhull hospitals were named Centers of Excellence in Lung Cancer Screening.
• All five post-acute care facilities were recognized as LGBTQ+ Long-Term Care Equality Leaders, a recognition received by only 11% of nursing homes across the nation.
• Bellevue Hospital was designated an Age-Friendly Health System for the high-quality care they provide to older adult patients.
• Bellevue Hospital was recognized as a Pediatric Innovator, the highest level of recognition given by the Always Ready for Children Pediatric Recognition Program.

Award-Winning Nurse Professionals

• Nurse professional development initiatives have resulted in a nurse turnover rate of just 7.3% in 2025, far below the national average of 16.4%. As recently as 2019, the public hospital system’s staff nurse turnover rate was 46%.
• Metropolitan Hospital was the first health care organization worldwide to receive the Pathway to Excellence with Distinction designation, and Carter was the nation’s first long-term care facility to receive the new award.
• Elmhurst Hospital was recognized as a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.
• Queens Hospital’s Medical-Surgical Unit received the PRISM Award from the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses.
• Metropolitan Hospital’s Adult ICU received a Gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence in Nursing from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
• Sixteen nurse leaders were recognized for achieving their doctorate in nursing, an achievement reached by only 2.7% of all Registered Nurses in the United States.
• Bellevue Hospital was named a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Smoke Evacuation by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) for creating a safe and healthy environment by eliminating surgical smoke, a hazardous byproduct of powered surgical instruments and lasers that poses significant health risks.

Finding Homes for NYC Health + Hospitals’ Patients

• The new $41.5 million 93-unit Woodhull II Residence opened, offering supportive housing for patients experiencing homelessness and affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers.
• The medical respite program, which offers patients experiencing homelessness a place to stay and home-based medical services for up to 90 days after a major health event, added 24 beds to serve 100 more patients each year.
• The Morrisania River Commons housing development, on the campus of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania, was approved by the Board of Directors to create 328 units of affordable and supportive housing and an expanded Gotham Health clinic.

Food is Medicine

• Over 2 million plant-based meals have been served to patients since the program began in March 2022. Plant-based eating is linked to significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers.
• The Lifestyle Medicine Program has provided over 10,000 group visits and served more than 1,300 patients in the past year.
• For Diabetes Awareness Month, two patients shared how the Lifestyle Medicine Program helped them dramatically improve their A1C in a few months.

As the Leading Provider of Behavioral Health, Continued Investment, Innovation

• NYC Health + Hospitals opened Bridge to Home, a new, innovative support model for patients with severe mental illness who are ready to be discharged from the hospital but do not have a place to go. The program offers patients a stable, home-like environment with onsite clinical services and behavioral health care.
• The new $32.2 million Critical Time Intervention teams will serve adults who have had multiple psychiatric hospital or emergency visits within the last year and provide follow-up care for up to nine months.
• The Domestic Violence Shelter Mental Health Initiative, which places NYC Health + Hospitals social workers in the city’s domestic violence shelters, expanded to 41 sites.
• Caring Transitions, a $2.4 million suicide prevention program for youth ages 5-17, is now available at Jacobi, Lincoln, and North Central Bronx hospitals after launching at Elmhurst and Queens hospitals last year. The program offers comprehensive support for up to 90 days after discharge.
• The new $5.1 million Track to Treatment program supports patients in addiction treatment with small rewards for positive behavior, including engagement in addiction care, and long-acting medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder, which last for a week to a month.
• The new Hotspotting program launched at Lincoln Hospital to reduce overdose deaths, nonfatal overdoses, and use of the emergency department. A dedicated team follows up with patients for up to a year after discharge from the hospital and offers them a cell phone and a service contract to help them stay connected to care.
• The health system opened 16 school-based mental health clinics, where NYC Health + Hospitals social workers bring mental health services to more than 6,000 students in New York City Public Schools across the Bronx and Central Brooklyn.
• NYC Health + Hospitals issued a one-year report on its behavioral health initiatives and received $33 million from the State to support behavioral health, adding to the $41 million received last year.
• B-HEARD, the city’s health-led response to 911 mental health calls, will be fully operated by NYC Health + Hospitals by next spring.
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, East New York opened a newly renovated behavioral health suite with modernized treatment spaces and a new outdoor wellness courtyard.
• Woodhull Hospital completed a major renovation project within its Psychiatric Unit to improve safety, functionality, and patient care.

Developing and Investing in the Health Care System’s Behavioral Health Workforce

• The Social Work Clinical Licensure Training Program launched to help Licensed Master Social Workers attain their clinical licensure in exchange for a two-year commitment to the health care system.
• The new Behavioral Health Nursing Career Ladder provides staff with educational support and financial assistance to enroll in nursing school in exchange for a three-year commitment to NYC Health + Hospitals.
• Over 100 peers have now graduated from the Peer Academy, which helps them achieve state certification and use their lived experience with mental health or substance use issues to support patients.

Opening New, Innovative Clinical Services and Spaces

• Kings County Hospital completed the first VNOTES hysterectomy in New York State, a minimally invasive technique that offers an array of benefits, including reduced postoperative pain, lower infection risk, quicker recovery, decreased reliance on pain medications, and no visible scarring.
• Elmhurst Hospital successfully treated brain cancer using a non-invasive, highly precise radiation, a first for the health care system. The state-of-the-art treatment – stereotactic radiosurgery – allows patients to go home the same day, a vast improvement from the previous type of treatment that required 5 to 10 days in the hospital.
• Construction began on the a new 22,000-square-foot Gotham Health community health center that will provide comprehensive health care services to residents of Far Rockaway, Queens.
• Woodhull Hospital broke ground on a $20 million labor and birthing suite renovation, part of a $45 million contribution from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to support pregnant and postpartum care in Brooklyn.
• NYC Care now covers durable medical equipment, including CPAP machines, diabetes related supplies, mobility devices, and urinary supplies, at low and no-cost to eligible patients.
• Lincoln Hospital launched a bariatric surgery program to address obesity and obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea.
• South Brooklyn Health is now a certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center for meeting rigorous standards for stroke care.
• Kings County Hospital received $8 million in city capital funding: $5 million to add two trauma bays to the hospital’s emergency department and $3 million to upgrade its primary care practice.
• Gotham Health now offers radiology at several sites, expanding access to advanced diagnostic imaging, including MRI, CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays, mammography, and DEXA bone density scans.
• Elmhurst Hospital completed a $450,000 renovation to one of its busiest radiology rooms, which is expected to serve more than 15,000 patients per year.
• Queens Hospital celebrated a new TrueBeam Linear Accelerator, a $5 million investment to enhance cancer care, and a $3.3 million renovation to its Interventional Radiology Suite to expand access to complex, minimally invasive procedures.
• Elmhurst Hospital launched a Women’s Heart Health Institute to address heart disease, the leading cause of death in women.
• The NYC Baby Boxes, which provides families of newborns at four hospitals with boxes that contain postpartum and newborn supplies, will serve 7,000 families a year.
• The Street Health Outreach + Wellness (SHOW) mobile program added point-of-care lab testing, point-of-care ultrasound, and blood draw services to better serve New Yorkers disconnected from care and those experiencing homelessness.
• Elmhurst Hospital enhanced its pediatric specialty care with experts in pediatric hematology and pediatric infectious disease.
• Woodhull Hospital opened a new Minor Surgery Suite, a modern and efficient addition designed to enhance patient access, reduce wait times, and optimize surgical operations across multiple specialties.
• South Brooklyn Health celebrated the new location of the Ida G. Israel Community Health Center, with primary care, family medicine, pediatric, and colorectal services now available at 1607 Surf Avenue.
• Elmhurst Hospital opened a $5 million offsite Business Services Center, housing the hospital’s Finance, Patient Accounts, Grants, and Human Resources departments and freeing up space for patient care at the hospital.
• Coler received a state-of-the-art equipment upgrade from Wheelchair Charities Inc. to expand access to rehabilitative care.
• Gotham Health launched dermatology services for a broad range of skin conditions, including eczema, acne, psoriasis, and skin cancer.
• Elmhurst received $1 million in advanced surgical microscopes, significantly enhancing surgical care across multiple specialties.
• Bellevue Hospital opened its newly renovated grossing room, expanding its capacity to detect tumors, diagnose infections, identify inflammatory conditions, and uncover genetic disorders.
• Woodhull Hospital opened two hospitality rooms to provide a comforting and welcoming space and honoring the cultural and religious preferences of the local community.
• Elmhurst Hospital renovated its Neurology Clinic to include larger exam rooms and a more comfortable environment for both patients and caregivers.
• MetroPlusHealth opened community offices in Brighton Beach and Staten Island, further expanding access to care.
• The free Red Bus on Roosevelt Island now stops at Coler during morning and afternoon rush hours.
• Bellevue Hospital celebrated the 300^th graduate from its Cardiac Rehabilitation and Wellness Program.

Enhancing and Expanding Preventive Care for Patients

• For the first time, 70% of patients in primary care have their type 2 diabetes under control, measured as an A1C below 8.0%.
• The health care system screened nearly 60,000 patients for colorectal cancer in 2024 with an at-home FIT Test, a 12% increase over 2023.
• NYC Health + Hospitals performed nearly 17,000 lung cancer screenings over the last three years. The early detection of lung cancer, which is often asymptomatic in early stages, has proven to dramatically increase survival. 

Meeting Challenges and Answering the Call to Provide Care

• Over two years, the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center (HERRC) program served more than 155,000 people; provided temporary shelter to more than 140,000 people, including over 40,000 children; and helped over 90% of eligible adults apply for work authorization.
• NYC Care launched a public awareness campaign on billboards, subways, buses, LinkNYC kiosks, digital, and a truck conducting outreach around the city reminding New Yorkers of their right to health care.
• Over 25,000 low-acuity calls to 911 were redirected to NYC Health + Hospitals’ Virtual ExpressCare since March 2020, preventing over 12,000 unnecessary FDNY ambulance transports to nearby hospitals.
• Queens Hospital successfully discharged Myracle, an infant born at 22 weeks and weighing just 1 pound, 6 ounces. After five months in the NICU, Myracle was able to go home weighing a healthy 8 pounds, 3 ounces.
• After sustaining several gunshot wounds years earlier, Rohmearo McFarlane regained his sight and use of his right hand thanks to the medical team at Jacobi and North Central Bronx hospitals.
• Bellevue Hospital participated in an international preparedness exercise to test the nation’s capability to safely and securely transport patients with highly pathogenic infectious disease from Canada to U.S. regional treatment centers.
• South Brooklyn Health conducted a simulation exercise to practice safely isolating a simulated patient with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and implementing infection control measures for a highly contagious airborne illness.
• The health care system’s Hospital-Based Violence Interruption Programs treated over 3,500 patients for violent trauma, about two thirds of whom also received violence interruption, prevention, and community services.

Connecting NYC Health + Hospitals’ Patients to Social Services

• Over 1,000 medically vulnerable patients received smartphones as they left Rikers Island to help them stay engaged in care, connect with job and housing resources, and stay connected to loved ones upon returning to their communities.
• NYC Financial Empowerment Centers, which provide free one-on-one financial counseling, are now available at 8 sites across NYC Health + Hospitals.
• Several sites hosted free, in-person, and virtual tax preparation services for New Yorkers as part of the city’s NYC Free Tax Prep initiative.

Supporting NYC Health + Hospitals’ Workforce

• NYC Health + Hospitals was named a 2025 Wellbeing First Champion for removing invasive mental health questions from physician applications for medical licensure, credentialing, and insurance.
• The new Harmonizing for Health program for health care providers launched to help combat staff burnout and compassion fatigue.
• Gotham Health opened new wellness rooms for staff at Belvis and Morrisania.
• The Arts in Medicine department and Sing for Hope hosted live concerts for staff, patients, and visitors through the Music for the Soul program. 

Using Creativity to Support and Heal NYC Health + Hospitals’ Patients

• The NYC Health + Hospitals podcast The Remedy released seven new episodes, covering community health workers, NYC Care, hospital violence interruption programs, the Arrival Center for all newly arriving asylum seekers, the Street Health Outreach and Wellness (SHOW) program, artificial intelligence, and addiction care.
• NYC Health + Hospitals and RxART debuted a new large-scale installation by Brooklyn-based artist Mickalene Thomas, Freesia on My Mind: The Beauty of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in the lobby of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital.
• Abstract expressionist painter Ilya Bolotowsky’s 6-foot-by-21-foot painting Untitled (1973) has a new home in the lobby of Lincoln Hospitals after years in storage thanks to a $70,000 donation by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
• Bellevue Hospital unveiled a new community mural inspired by cyanotypes, one of the earliest photographic processes from the 19th century. 

Strengthening NYC Health + Hospitals’ Infrastructure

• NYC Health + Hospitals cut annual anesthesia-related carbon emissions by over 50% – the equivalent of taking approximately 1,100 gas-powered cars off the road.
• A major rooftop solar panel installation at McKinney, the health care system’s largest solar installation to date, will offset approximately 11.5% of the facility’s annual electric use.
• A $5 million stormwater drainage upgrade at Jacobi Hospital will be able to capture more than 5 million gallons of water per year, helping to reduce flooding.
• In one year, the health care system reduced annual operational carbon emissions by nearly 6,000 metric tons and achieved nearly $2.5 million in annual energy cost savings.
• A $37 million energy retrofit at Lincoln Hospital is expected to save nearly $1.5 million annually and reduce emissions by 5,300 metric tons of CO₂ each year — the equivalent of taking approximately 1,150 gas-powered cars off the road.
• NYC Health + Hospitals completed a $30.5 million upgrade to over 2,000 high tech hospital beds with features to reduce bed sores and falls and support nursing staff.
• Upgraded linen management machines will save $3.06 million annually; the first phase of the project reduced linen use by 55% in the health system’s emergency departments.

Celebrating the Health Care System’s Long History of Care

• Several sites recognized round number birthdays: East New York celebrated its 50^th anniversary, Gouverneur celebrated its 140^th anniversary, and Metropolitan Hospital and South Brooklyn Health celebrated their 150^th anniversaries.
• The health system recognized the 5-year anniversary of the Covid pandemic, honoring lives lost and NYC Health + Hospitals’ health care heroes.
• Queens Hospital unveiled the newly renamed Claire Shulman Pavilion in honor of Queens’ first female Borough President, who began her career as a nurse at Queens Hospital in the 1940s and whose advocacy led to critical upgrades to the hospital.

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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.